The World football governing body, FIFA has ratified the dates for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
This decision, confirmed by the FIFA Council , sets the tournament in the East African summer, with a slight adjustment to conclude one day earlier than initially proposed.
The competition, which will be jointly staged in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, will kick off on Saturday, 19 June 2027, and will now conclude on Saturday, 17 July, a day earlier than the initially indicated Sunday, 18 July finish. The tournament retains its modern June to July window.
The confirmation follows months of speculation over both the hosting arrangements and the calendar, with Confederation of African Football (CAF) having previously withheld exact dates despite assurances the tournament would not be moved from the region or shifted to 2028.
This will be a historic event, as for the first time, the tournament will be hosted by three countries, with 28 favorites competing nations coming to battle for the title on East African soil.
Renamed the Raila Odinga International Stadium in December 2025 in honor of the late former Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon Raila Amollo Odinga, this 60,000-seater is a flagship venue expected to host both the opening and closing ceremonies of the continental showcase.
For the other two nations: Tanzania’s lineup features the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the Samia Suluhu Stadium in Arusha, as well as the Fumba and Amaan stadiums in Zanzibar.
Uganda has proposed Hoima City Stadium, Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, and Akii Bua Stadium in Lira, spreading matches across different regions of the country.
There has been some noise online that the three nations might lose hosting rights, but now with FIFA’s confirmation, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania just need to get their acts together under the Pamoja bid and hustle through the preparations for this historic showpiece.
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