Hosting AFCON will be a costly, complex affair but Kenya must rise to the occasion

Only two countries from the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) region have been able to host the African Cup of Nations. However, Sudan staging the first edition in 1957 and later in 1970 while Ethiopia hosted in 1962, 1968, and 1976 all happened in the era of simplicity and few teams. Eight countries featured in the 1976 edition in Ethiopia.

Kenya won the rights to host the 1996 edition which was shrouded in cheap multiparty politics and the rights were given to South Africa. Kenya again won the 2018 Africa Nations Championship finals, the AFCON for players based in Africa and again failed to meet the set-out pre-conditions and CAF moved the tournament to Morocco. This led to doubts over whether Kenya will get the 2027 rights, before, together with Uganda and Tanzania, the floated the "Pamoja bid" emerging victors.