Ivorian Journo Asks To Strip East Africa Off 2027 AFCON, CAF's Motsepe Responds

Ivorian Journo Asks To Strip East Africa Off 2027 AFCON, CAF’s Motsepe Responds

CAF President Patrice Motsepe has dismissed an outlandish call to relocate the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) away from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania owing to infrastructure issues.

Motsepe stated at a news conference in Morocco on Saturday, January 17, when Ivorian journalist Mamadou Gaye asked him about the prospect of relocating the coveted competition to countries with greater infrastructure and resources.

Gaye had initially launched a blistering assessment of the East African countries, alleging that the road networks would be difficult for touring teams throughout the championship.

“The next one (AFCON) is heading to 3 East African countries, where I have been. No roads connecting the countries,” Gaye claimed during the press conference.

"East Africa has no roads..Many are worried, are we not going to lower the standards by going to East Africa?"

" Is there a possibility it will be taken away from the 3 countries or postponed again?," veteran Journo Mamadou Gaye to @CAF_Online President Motsepe.

The DISRESPECT pic.twitter.com/xclecM5yb2
— Katami Michelle (@MichKatami) January 17, 2026

“Some of my colleagues from East Africa told me that from one country to another one will take you 2 days to drive.”

Adding, “Then my biggest worry, and many are worried, are we are going to lower the standards by going to East Africa.

“What is the solution forward? Is there any possibility that it will be taken away from those countries?”

In response, the CAF president emphasized the organization’s commitment to African development through football.

It emphasized that hosting lucrative tournaments just by more established nations would be counterproductive.

“You’ve got to create opportunities for all African countries to develop infrastructure. I am confident that the AFCON will be successful. I know there will be challenges,” Motsepe said.

Mamadou Gaye has been to East Africa and seen the region. It's not what he described-and he knows it.

It's unfathomable that a senior citizen of his caliber can make cheap jokes over serious issues, unless he's lost his memory during this winter moment here in Morocco. In any… https://t.co/ZvK5sMYsBV
— Saddique Shaban (@SaddiqueShaban) January 17, 2026

The CAF president referenced the African Nations Championships (CHAN), which would be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in August 2025.

He added that the countries’ ability to successfully handle the regional tournament demonstrated that they could plan a successful AFCON.

He went on, “That’s why I wanted CHAN to take place in those countries, because it would give the chance to develop.

“We are not going to take the competition away from those countries because I am convinced it will be successful.”

According to Motsepe, logistical issues are part of the planning process for any tournament, regardless of location.

He drew parallels with the impending 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States and Mexico, claiming that they would also have one or two infrastructure issues.

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As far as the AFCON is concerned, the tournament will undergo wholesome changes from 2028 as Motsepe announced in December that the tournament would be held every four years, instead of the traditional two.

Under the revised schedule, the 2025 edition was held in Morocco, followed by the East Africa edition in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania under the “Pamoja” joint bid.

CAF will then stage an additional “bridge” tournament in 2028, with the host nation yet to be announced, before fully transitioning to a quadrennial format from 2032 onwards.

Motsepe said the changes were made after consultations with FIFA to resolve the persistent scheduling conflicts that have long affected AFCON, particularly clashes with European club competitions.

Ivorian Journo Asks To Strip East Africa Off 2027 AFCON, CAF’s Motsepe Responds