Khaberni- Media reports confirm that the eyes of the African continent are turning to a crucial meeting of the executive committee at the African Football Confederation, amid escalating doubts about the readiness of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, opening the door to a scenario of postponing the tournament to 2028 and canceling an edition of the competition as part of a comprehensive rescheduling of the continental calendar.
The Guardian reported that, according to multiple sources, there are significant concerns about a funding crisis affecting the completion of infrastructure, stadiums, and the pace of preparations in the three countries, which could make it difficult to meet the required standards on time.
It added: "The executive office is expected to discuss these developments during its upcoming meeting in Dar es Salaam, amid pressures to make a final decision that will determine the future of the upcoming edition of the championship".
The president of the African Football Confederation, Patrice Motsepe, announced last December that a new system has been adopted to hold the Cup of Nations every four years starting from 2028 instead of every two years, with the 2027 edition fixed in East Africa, and moving the 2029 edition to be held in 2028, however, the lag in preparations might push the confederation to accelerate this temporal transition, by deferring the 2027 edition and rearranging upcoming editions.
In related news, the African Football Confederation received official bids to host the 2028 edition, most notably from Morocco, and a joint bid from South Africa and Botswana, in addition to Ethiopia. The executive committee is expected to decide the host country or winning bid during its next meeting, in a decision that will have a wide impact on the future of football on the continent.
Also on the agenda is the issue of the African Women's Cup of Nations, amid reports of a possible withdrawal by Morocco from hosting the next edition, which complicates the organizational scene within the continent.
The anticipated decisions not only concern identifying a host but also outline a new phase in managing continental championships, amid organizational challenges, time pressures, and real tests of the local federations' ability to keep up with the ambitions of football in Africa.
