This was the year it finally happened. Kenya hosted a major CAF tournament for the first time ever. After failing to stage the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and 2018 African Nations Championships (Chan), Kenya co-hosted the delayed 2024 Chan with Tanzania and Uganda from August 2- 30 this year.
The competition taking place in 2025 signified unfinished business from 2024. The three countries were supposed to stage the tournament in September 2024, but after assessing their level of preparedness, CAF postponed it to February 2025.
However, the year started with a hiccup that forced CAF to postpone the tournament to August. Once again, the three co-hosts were behind deadline, triggering speculation that CAF was contemplating withdrawing hosting rights.
Yet, CAF kept visiting East Africa. They monitored progress, gave recommendations, and finally waved the green flag. It was all systems go, but the competition arrived with challenges that the three co-hosts were not ready for.
Harambee Stars celebrate after their 1-0 win during their Chan match against DR Congo at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani on August 3, 2025.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
Those challenges now headline lessons for their preparations to co-host the 2027 African Cup of Nations. All stadiums earmarked for hosting the tournament should be ready by June 19, 2027, when 2027 Afcon is scheduled to commence. The new stadiums being constructed in the three countries sprouted with remarkable pace and are now redefining skylines with refreshing beauty each day.
The stadiums will fill with vibrant fans, but hopefully none of them will have entered the stadium after lapses by organisers leading to breaches of CAF’s safety and security regulations. The 2024 Chan showed how much Kenyans love football. They attended matches in large numbers, even when Harambee Stars were not playing. The 2027 Afcon will witness a return of that euphoria, and it should do so with the organisers having put in place robust procedures for purchasing tickets and established efficient crowd control and management protocols.
Ticketing for Harambee Stars matches during the 2024 Chan was marred with incidents of fraud. Some spectators bought fake tickets from a bogus ticketing portal created by some crafty individuals. The real portal experienced challenges too, relenting to high traffic and attacks by bots programmed to purchase tickets in bulk. Some fans also purchased genuine tickets at exorbitant prices from individuals who had bought them in bulk. Politicians also bought tickets in bulk for free distribution to their supporters, some of whom hoarded the tickets.
President William Ruto joins thousands of Kenyans at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi on August 17, 2025 in cheering Harambee Stars during their Group 'A' match against Zambia in the 2024 African Nations Championship.
Photo credit: PCS
The 2027 Afcon should show that organisers learnt from those hiccups, which triggered Fomo (fear of missing out) among football fans who forced their way into Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, when Harambee Stars played Morocco.
The stadium was filled beyond capacity after fans overpowered security and damaged the match venue’s crowd control infrastructure, like fences, gates, and rails. That conduct led CAF to fining FKF Sh6.5 million and reducing attendance for Harambee Stars’ subsequent matches to 60 per cent of Kasarani’s capacity, from 48 000 to 33,600.
As such, during 2027 Afcon, organisers should ensure genuine football fans benefit from equitable and fair ticket-buying processes. The ticketing portal should be equipped with a feature that will allow for the creation of fan IDs to curb bulk purchases. Also, aggressive marketing of the official marketing will be necessary to prevent fans from falling prey to fake portals. The tickets should also go on sale early to give fans adequate time to plan and prepare their travel and accommodation.
Fan zones, a late entrant to improve fan experience during the 2024 Chan, should be set up early and in all major cities in Kenya throughout the tournament. Their installations provided an enjoyable viewing experience for ticketless fans, reducing unnecessary crowding at match venues. Activities at fan zones at 2024 Chan created scenes which went viral online, advertising Kenyans’ love for football in a manner never seen before. It would be pleasant to witness such during 2027 Afcon.
President William Ruto (left) and Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya (right) interact with Harambee Stars players at the team's training camp at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi July 16, 2025.
Most importantly, organisers should avoid last-minute rushes to get things ready. This applies to branding of stadiums and setting up of media centres, activities which had not been completed by the time the 2024 Chan started.
Organisers of 2027 Afcon should also consider the needs of other road users during the tournament. Hosting the tournament should not inconvenience the lives of thousands of Kenyans due to road closures. The traffic department should come up with measures that will allow the smooth flow of traffic during match days. Road closures pose a risk to people’s lives, particularly those relying on transport to hospitals situated along closed roads.
The run up to 2027 Afcon should also witness a more aggressive media and marketing campaign, an activity which happened to late in the day during Chan 2024, with corporates making last-ditch efforts to popularise their brands while riding on Harambee Stars’ heroics and Kenya’s success at hosting the tournament.
Fan zones at the 2024 Chan attracted aggregate crowds of 140,000 people, and 40 million others watched the action on TV. The 2027 Afcon will generate even bigger numbers with a global audience, presenting a golden opportunity for local corporates to ensure their brands leave a lasting impression on people’s minds.
Concerning Kenya’s preparations to host 2027 Afcon, if 2025 was the year of lessons, 2026 should be the year of smoothing the rough edges so when June 2027 arrives, it should be touch and go.
