East African countries are racing to finish preparations ahead of AFCON 2027

The next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is less than nine months away and the tournament's three host countries are racing to finish the preparations.

The competition will kick off in June 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, AFCON's first return to East Africa since 1976.

In September, a delegation of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) visited the three countries to assess progress on newly built infrastructure, including stadiums and training grounds.

In Kenya, the flagship project is the Talanta Sports International Stadium in Nairobi. The facility has a capacity of 60,000 seats and is reportedly nearing completion.

But construction is running late across the three nations and doubts remain over their ability to host such a massive event.

On Monday, CAF President Patrice Motsepe said preparations were an emergency. He denied the possibility of a relocation of the tournament.

But according to French newspaper Le Monde, the organisation has reportedly approached countries that could host the competition on short notice if needed. Le Monde says CAF has reached out to Morocco, South Africa and Algeria as potential alternative hosts.