CAF overlooks Nigeria and grants the 2027 AFCON hosting rights to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania
Nigeria's aspiration to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Benin Republic was shattered yesterday.
This outcome resulted from the decision made by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to grant hosting privileges to Eastern African nations—Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda—all of whom submitted a joint bid for the continent's premier football tournament.
Nigeria, which previously co-hosted AFCON with Ghana in 2000, entered the bid process with other potential hosts with high hopes of securing the rights.
However, the delegation from the Federal government, led by Minister for Sports Development John Owan-Enoh, left Cairo, Egypt, disheartened when CAF announced the winning host.
Many perceive CAF's decision as a reminder to Nigeria that substantial work remains to be done in terms of providing top-tier sports facilities and overall infrastructure.
Some football analysts argue that considering Cameroon hosted the previous edition in 2021, Cote d'Ivoire is slated to host the 2024 edition, and Morocco has been chosen for the 2025 AFCON, it's reasonable for the championship to shift to East Africa in 2027.
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