Uganda’s Parliament Speaker, Anitah Among, has issued a dire warning: Uganda might lose its chance to host the 2027 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) if stadium construction doesn’t speed up. Yes, folks, it’s another episode of our favorite show, “Hurry Up and Wait.”
Last year, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania won the bid to host AFCON 2027. The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the organization that runs football in Africa, must have seen something promising. Or maybe they just love a good underdog story.
Among sounded the alarm bells, saying, “We won the bid with Kenya and Tanzania, and all the other countries are constructing. The only country that is still behind is Uganda. And it is likely that if we don’t move faster, the bid will be taken away from Uganda.”
She dropped this bombshell right before Parliament approved a supplementary budget to start building one of the AFCON stadiums in Hoima, western Uganda. Yes, we’re finally getting around to it, but at a pace that would make a tortoise blush.
The Ugandan government has tapped a Turkish firm, Summa International, to handle the construction. Let’s hope they bring some much-needed speed to the table.
Among was quick to highlight the benefits of hosting AFCON for all Ugandans. “I want to thank President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for loving sports and making sure we have the money to finish Mandela National Stadium-Namboole,” she added.
Of course, it’s always about thanking the President. After all, what would we do without his undying love for sports? Surely, that love will translate into concrete, bricks, and a completed stadium – any day now.
So, here we are, with the clock ticking and the world watching. Will Uganda rise to the occasion, or will we sit back and watch our AFCON dreams slip through our fingers?
