Kudos Govt for AFCON preps

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA is co-hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 along with neighbours Kenya and Uganda.

The main biennial international men’s association football competition in Africa is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and was first held in 1957.

Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba was quoted saying that preparations for AFCON 2027 are progressing well, with three new training ground projects currently underway: Farasi Grounds, Gymkhana Annex, and Leaders Club.

The host countries are expected to provide not only match venues, but also adequate training facilities for national teams participating in the finals. This is the 36th edition of the African football.

The edition of the tournament will be the first to be hosted by three countries, and the first in five decades to be organised in the CECAFA region, since it was hosted by Ethiopia in 1976. This event is part of the Africa Cup of Nations’ 70th anniversary.

It will also be the last one to be held in odd-numbered years, as CAF announced in December 2025 that AFCON would become a quadrennial tournament from 2028 onwards.

Morocco are the defending champions after being controversially awarded the 2025 title after an appeal and despite Senegal winning in the final.

Co-hosting a football tournament, is a strategy increasingly adopted for major events; it offers significant economic, operational, and social advantages.

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It allows nations to share the high financial burden of infrastructure development, utilises existing stadiums rather than building new ones (reducing ‘white elephant’ risks), and promotes regional cooperation.

The key advantages of co-hosting a football tournament, include, but not limited to reduced economic burden and financial risk: Co-hosting allows countries to split the immense financial investment required for stadium construction, transport upgrades, and hosting operations.

Minimized white elephants: Instead of building brand-new stadia that might not be used afterward, organisers can use existing venues across two or more nations, like now three in ADCON 2027, reducing the risk of creating costly, under-utilised infrastructure.

There is also an issue of increased sustainability: Spreading the logistical and financial strain makes hosting more environmentally and economically sustainable, especially for smaller or developing nations that might not be able to host alone.

Organising committees from different nations can combine their event management experience, human resources, and operational knowledge, improving the overall quality of the event.

As it stands, Tanzania is ahead of the two co-hosting countries in terms of preparations. Kudos government for such an achievement.