CAF settles the debate on relocating or postponing the Africa Cup of Nations 2027

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed its position regarding the rumors about relocating or postponing the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, emphasizing its commitment to holding the tournament on schedule and its confidence in the ability of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to host it.

This comes in response to media reports claiming that Patrice Motsepe, the president of the Confederation of African Football, intends to visit the three host countries in January to assess their readiness five months before the tournament kicks off.

Reports suggest the possibility of relocating the competition to another country if the three nations do not meet the organizational requirements during the upcoming visit, raising questions about the fate of the next edition of the continental tournament.

In this context, Luxolo September, the media spokesperson for CAF, denied the accuracy of these reports, confirming in press statements today, Saturday, that they are merely repeated reports that the federation has previously clarified the truth of.

September stated that the circulating news is 'false and has no basis in fact', emphasizing that the African Union is not considering relocating the Africa Cup of Nations 2027, and is confident in the ability of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to host the tournament on schedule.

Rumors have not only focused on the possibility of changing the host country, as other reports have discussed a proposal to postpone the 2027 edition to 2028, settling for holding only one edition during that period, instead of the current system which includes holding two editions before transitioning to organizing the tournament every four years.

The CAF spokesperson denied the accuracy of this information, affirming the federation's commitment to the current schedule and that there is no intention to change the tournament date.

In terms of the qualifiers, two rounds of the competitions for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 have already taken place, with the qualifiers set to conclude in March, according to the announced schedule.