Read Here - Why Nakivubo Stadium will be approved as training a facility for AFCON 2027.

Nakivubo Stadium, which is currently being renovated by businessman Hamis Kiggundu, has not yet been approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host some of the matches for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as news is making round.

Uganda will co-host the tournament with Kenya and Tanzania in 2027.

The East Africa Pamoja consortium, comprising Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, was awarded the privilege of hosting the 2027 AFCON by CAF president Patrice Motsepe on Wednesday 27th September 2023. The three countries beat other contenders such as South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, and Senegal.

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The tournament requires six stadiums to accommodate the 24 participating teams. Among these stadiums, two must have a seating capacity of 40,000, two with a capacity of 20,000, and two with a capacity of 15,000.

Nakivubo Stadium is one of the oldest and most iconic stadiums in Uganda. It was built in 1926 and has hosted many memorable events, though, AFCON is not played on artificial turf surfaces, which Nakivubo has.

it has been noted that Nakivubo was submitted as a training ground but also, that won't work, teams like  Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Morocco will not train on artificial turf unless if they plan on natural grass. One should note that Nambole, which is the biggest has not yet also been approved though the bid for approval is still on. 

In 2018, Kiggundu signed a deal with the government to redevelop Nakivubo Stadium into a modern and international standard facility. He has invested billions of shillings into the project, which involves building a new pitch, stands, dressing rooms, media facilities, floodlights, and other amenities. The project is expected to be completed by December this year.

Although due to excitement, City Businessman, Hamis  Kiggundu expressed his joy and pride in a tweet, saying  Nakivubo Stadium was approved by the CAF. He wrote: “Nakivubo Stadium finally approved to host AFCON 2027…for God and my Country”. He also thanked CAF, FUFA, and the government for their support and trust in his vision.