A low down on AFCON bids
Botswana will be in the pot with three other competing bids from Algeria, Senegal, and a joint effort from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda as the CAF executive committee gathers in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday to decide the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations hosts Mmegi
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (PAMOJA)
Kenya
Population: 53.01 million (2021)
Gross Domestic Product: $110.00 billion (2021)
CAF member since: 1968
AFCON hosting: 0
CAF-approved stadia: 0
Advantages: East Africa has, like southern Africa been starved of hosting AFCON finals. Kenya will hope that with costs spread; this could be their time to host the tournament. CAF could offer them a sympathy vote. Kenya is East Africa’s economic hub.
Disadvantages: Kenya has no history of hosting major football tournaments and infrastructure could prove to be their undoing. Kenya was stripped of the rights to host the AFCON finals in 1996 and the CHAN 2018 due to a lack of progress in constructing facilities.
Tanzania
Population: 63.59 million (2021)
Gross Domestic Product: $67.84 billion (2021)
CAF member since: 1964
AFCON hosting: 0
CAF-approved stadia: Benjamin Mkapa Stadium
Botswana
Population: 2.3million (2022)
Gross Domestic Product: $17.61 billion (2021)
CAF member since: 1976
AFCON hosting: 0
CAF-approved stadia: Obed Itani Chilume Stadium Advantages: Botswana will pin hopes on what the Bid Committee has described as a compelling case anchored on the construction of three new modern stadia and the upgrade of existing facilities. The country is politically and economically stable. Only two southern African countries have hosted the Africa Cup of Nations finals since the first tournament in 1957. Botswana will attempt to bring the tournament to the southern tip for the first time since 2013, amid calls to spread the competition across the continent. There is a recent track record of hosting international events including the 2014 Africa Youth Games, the 2017 Netball Youth Cup and the US-Africa Business Summit.
Disadvantages: Botswana will have to build three new facilities from scratch within a limited period of three years, leaving no room for error. The upgrades will be financially taxing, while the country does not have a five-star hotel within greater Gaborone, which will host the majority of matches.
Algeria
Population: 44.18 million (2021)
Gross Domestic Product: $163 billion (2021)
CAF member since 1964
AFCON hosting: 1 (1990)
CAF-approved stadia: July 5, Stadium, Nelson Mandela Stadium, Miloud Hadefi Stadium, Annaba Stadium, and
Chahid Hamlaoui Stadium
Advantages: Algeria has some of the best facilities on the continent coupled with worldclass infrastructure. With five CAF-approved facilities, Algeria will not need to construct new facilities if it were to be awarded the rights to host the tournament, which is a plus in terms of their preparedness. Algeria hosted a seamless Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) finals in January.
Disadvantages: Occasional political and economic unrest like in 2019 when late President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika was forced to resign after a wave of protests over economic stagnation, unemployment and corruption. With concerns the AFCON has been a preserve of countries in the north and west, Algeria falls in that category. The 2025 edition is expected to go to bitter political rivals and neighbours Morocco meaning the 2027 tournament is unlikely to go to Algeria, but that is not cast in stone.
Senegal
Population: 16.88 million (2021)
Gross Domestic Product: $27.63 billion (2021)
CAF member since: 1963
AFCON hosting: 1 (1992)
CAF-approved stadia: Abdoulaye-Wade Stadium, Thiès
Lat-Dior Stadium
Advantages: Senegal is a football-crazy nation and has had considerable success in recent years. The senior men’s team are the reigning AFCON and CHAN champions, while the junior side won the AFCON Under-20 title.
Disadvantages: The construction of facilities, according to the Africa Report, is Senegal’s Achilles Heel. With only two CAF-approved stadiums, Senegal will have to work hard to improve its facilities within three years.
Advantages: Of the three East African countries bidding under what is known as the Pamoja bid, Tanzania appears to be the one that could be the trump card. Football has been progressing in Tanzania, culminating with the national team qualifying for the 2023 AFCON finals.
Disadvantages: Tanzania’s bid might be pulled down by both Kenya and Uganda’s lack of infrastructure progress.
Uganda
Population: 45.85 million (2021)
Gross Domestic Product: $40.53 billion (2021)
CAF member since: 1960
AFCON hosting: 0
CAF-approved stadia: 0
Advantages: Uganda, like Tanzania and Kenya, will pin hopes on CAF to spread the hosting of the competition. With three countries carrying the weight of hosting, this could work to their advantage.
Disadvantages: Like Kenya, Uganda has no track record in hosting and there will be fears the facilities will not be ready by 2026. CAF will have to think hard as the region has not hosted the AFCON finals, but at the same time, there is the facility Achilles Heel.