AFCON Secretariat established as Uganda prepares for AFCON 2027, CHAN 2025

By Emmanuel Sekago

On Tuesday, August 13th, 2024, Uganda’s State Minister for Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, officially inaugurated the AFCON Secretariat Uganda office, located at Plot 11 Hesketh Bell Road, Lugogo, Kampala.

The event also featured the unveiling of brand-new Secretariat vehicles, marking a significant step forward in Uganda’s preparations to host the upcoming African football tournaments.

Despite growing uncertainty surrounding the African Nations Championship (CHAN), Minister Ogwang provided assurances that the tournament will proceed, albeit with a revised schedule, now set for January 2025 instead of the originally planned September 2024.
“Uganda will be ready to host both CHAN 2025 and AFCON 2027,” Ogwang declared during the commissioning of the Local Organising Committee offices in Lugogo.

He emphasized the importance of meeting the Confederation of African Football (CAF) requirements, particularly the provision of four compliant training grounds. “Three are already in place,” Ogwang confirmed, listing Kadiba, the outside pitch of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, and Kyambogo University grounds. He also noted that Makerere University grounds had been inspected and would be developed to meet the necessary standards.

The successful hosting of CHAN 2025 is seen as a critical indicator of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania’s readiness to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a milestone event for East Africa. Uganda and Tanzania are expected to host two groups of CHAN, while Kenya will host the remaining pool, demonstrating the region’s capability to handle such prestigious tournaments.

The decision to award Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania the hosting rights for AFCON 2027 was made by CAF’s Executive Committee in Cairo, Egypt.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe  who announced the East Africa “Pamoja” Bid as the winning bid, a historic achievement for the region. In anticipation of these events, Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development had already released UGX 124.63 billion for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024-2025 to the National Council of Sports (NCS).

This funding, under the non-wage recurrent category, included the payment of AFCON commitment fees amounting to USD 30 million, further underscoring Uganda’s commitment to hosting the continent’s premier football events.