Musonye: Kenya’s Bid To Host AFCON Dead On Arrival
Former long-serving Council of East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) Secretary General Nicholas Musonye has laughed off Kenya’s joint bid with Tanzania and Uganda to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by saying the process will ‘’ fail on arrival’’
Musonye has also worked as CAF member of National Associations Committee for 10yrs.
He says hosting such a big continental showpiece needs a massive infrastructure that might tow be fulfilled by the three nations in three years.
Kenya is expected to present its bid to co-host the continental tournament on May 17, 2023.
“We don’t have facilities and the ones we have, we can’t improve them in three years. It will take at least 10 years to put everything in place. We have been given the right to host continental tournaments twice and both times we failed,” said Musonye
CAF requirements for hosting the AFCON indicate that a country needs six stadiums, with two that can hold 40,000 fans, another two that can hold 20,000 fans, and two that can hold at least 15,000 fans, which according to Musonye such might be a toll order the East African Nations
“The idea is unrealistic owing to lack of infrastructure in the 3 nations, Uganda (currently playing their AFCON home matches in Cameroon & Egypt) and Kenya have no stadiums, while Tanzania has only one stadium meeting the mandatory International standards” said Nicholas Musonye,
Kenya was once awarded the right to host the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 Confederations Cup of Nations (CHAN), only to be stripped off the hosting rights due to lack of infrastructure.
Musonye’s comments came on the day President William Ruto officially unveil the Pamoja Bid for the three nations.
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