The World Cup is teaching us: Will we listen before AFCON 2027?

DAR ES SALAAM: WITH the opening matches underway, the world’s eyes are in the USA, Mexico and Canada as they host the FIFA World Cup 2026. It is the first 48-team tournament and the first to be staged by three nations across 16 cities from Vancouver to Guadalajara.

As the football starts, the question for Tanzania is simple: if North America can pull this off, why can’t East Africa when AFCON 2027 arrives? In 2027, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda will welcome Africa for the Africa Cup of Nations. Twenty-four teams, 52 matches, one dream shared by three countries.

The World Cup unfolding now is not just entertainment. It is a blueprint, and there is much we can borrow. First, unity over ego. The USA, Mexico and Canada buried borders for one goal. They did not start by arguing who gets the final. They asked how to make travel seamless for fans and teams.

That is the spirit we need. One ticketing system, one brand, one anthem for East Africa. When a fan lands in Nairobi, takes the train to Dar es Salaam and buses to Kampala, it should feel like moving between regions, not countries. The East African Community already gives us the framework. AFCON is the chance to use it. Second, infrastructure that leaves a legacy. Canada is building training bases for teams long after the World Cup ends.

The USA is upgrading stadiums with hybrid turf and better media facilities. Mexico is renovating the Azteca so it can host a third World Cup. Every dollar has a plan for after the final whistle. Tanzania must do the same. Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and the New Amaan Complex Stadium in Zanzibar can all be AFCON ready.

But the question is what remains after 2027. Every shilling spent must answer what Wananchi will get when the teams leave. Third, football that belongs to the people. In North America, FIFA fan festivals are running in all 16 host cities, not just where matches are played. Streets are closed for street football, local food is served alongside tacos, and volunteers are trained to welcome the world. AFCON 2027 must leave the stadiums. Arusha can host a fan village at its new stateof-the-art stadium.

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Zanzibar, Mombasa and Kampala can have their own villages too. Nyama choma, ugali and chapati should be served. Boda boda riders, hotel staff and college students can be trained as ambassadors. When a fan from Senegal or Egypt leaves Tanzania, they should remember the warmth of the people, not just the scoreline. Fourth, logistics are planned like a nation. Moving 48 teams across three nations is a military operation.

Airports, rail, ferries and charter flights must work together. But here Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda must borrow the good leaf and avoid the bad one. The USA’s stricter visa procedures that have blocked some match officials and fans from participating nations are a negative side we must reject.

For AFCON 2027, East Africa must harmonize early. Smooth entry for fans, fast-track lanes for teams and officials, joint security drills for police from the three countries, and ferries on Lake Victoria running day and night. The World Cup is showing that chaos at airports kills a nation’s reputation faster than a 3-0 loss.

Closed doors kill it even faster. We cannot wait until next year to start planning. Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda hosting AFCON 2027 is bigger than football. It is a test of East African integration. The World Cup this month is proving that big dreams work when countries plan together and think beyond the final.

The lessons North America is showing us now will only grow if we plant them in our own soil. With the opening matches underway, let us watch, learn and prepare. If we borrow the right lessons now, AFCON 2027 will not just be a tournament we host. It will be a tournament that redefines what East Africa can do together.