The next African Cup of Nations is scheduled to take place in 2027 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. But the president of the Kenyan organizing committee told AFP on Thursday that a one-year postponement of the competition would be beneficial to his country, given the high risk of electoral violence during this period.
Published on: 02/12/2026 - 5:14 p.m.
Will CAN 2027 finally be played... in 2028? A one-year postponement of the African Cup of Nations would in any case be beneficial to Kenya, one of the three host countries, the president of the Kenyan organizing committee told Agence-France Presse (AFP) on Thursday February 12.
An article published Wednesday by the British daily The Guardian indicates that the competition could be postponed until 2028, because Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania would not yet be ready to host the event.
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An inspection team from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is currently in Tanzania and is due to hold a meeting on the status of preparations on Friday.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has already said he is confident the competition will go ahead in 2027 as planned.
A CAN and elections in Kenya
But for the president of the Kenyan organizing committee, Nicholas Musonye, a one-year postponement "would be a good thing for Kenya, given that the country would be preparing for elections" legislative and presidential, scheduled for August 2027.
"We have seen the unstable atmosphere around these elections in Tanzania, Uganda and even Kenya. Security would not be guaranteed for such an important competition," he also stressed to AFP.
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Kenya has seen serious electoral violence, notably in 2007 and 2017, and more than 100 people have been killed in anti-government protests over the past two years.
In Tanzania, thousands of demonstrators were killed by security forces after a vote deemed fraudulent.
The three host countries had organized the CHAN... which had been postponed
In Uganda, the opposition leader fled after last month's elections, and the army chief said dozens of his supporters were killed after being accused of terrorism by re-elected President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1986.
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Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, three East African countries, have already co-organized, in 2025, the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition reserved for selections composed exclusively of players playing in their national championships.
This tournament had, however, been postponed from the beginning of the year to August, in order to allow development and infrastructure upgrade work to continue.
With AFP
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