{"id":1262961,"date":"2022-12-08T11:09:07","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T11:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/12\/08\/kenya-launches-bid-to-co-host-africa-cup-of-nations-in-2027\/"},"modified":"2022-12-08T11:09:07","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T11:09:07","slug":"kenya-launches-bid-to-co-host-africa-cup-of-nations-in-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/12\/08\/kenya-launches-bid-to-co-host-africa-cup-of-nations-in-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenya launches bid to co-host Africa Cup of Nations in 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kenya intends to bid to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside other countries in East Africa.<\/p>\n

The Kenyan government has sanctioned the plan, with the ultimate aim of qualifying for the men\u2019s World Cup for the first time in 2030.<\/p>\n

The Harambee Stars have played at the Nations Cup just twice since 1993, and were barred from qualifiers for the 2023 finals because the country was serving a ban from global football.<\/p>\n

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That sanction, imposed by world governing body Fifa,\u00a0was lifted last month.<\/p>\n

However, Kenya would need to invest in stadia and infrastructure to be able to host the tournament.<\/p>\n

Cameroon used six venues to host the delayed 2021 edition earlier this year, while Kenya has just one stadium approved for international games by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).<\/p>\n

That is the Nyayo National Stadium, which is in the capital Nairobi.<\/p>\n

Kenya was\u00a0stripped of the right to host the 2018 African Nations Championship\u00a0four months before the finals because several venues were not ready to stage the event.<\/p>\n

A statement from the Kenyan government said its cabinet had \u201csanctioned the revitalisation of football as a key cog of our nation\u2019s social fabric\u201d in a bid \u201cto revive the prospects of Kenyan football\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis national effort will encompass the rebuilding of the national men\u2019s team and women\u2019s team,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n

\u201cCabinet noted that the joint bid would deploy the power of sports in furthering regional integration.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Potential co-hosts alongside Kenya for the 24-team tournament would be neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania, but neither have commented on the statement by the Kenyan government.<\/p>\n

Botswana and Namibia have already announced a joint bid for the 2027 edition of the Nations Cup.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Caf\u2019s process to choose a new host for the 2025 finals is still ongoing, with a deadline on 16 December for finalised bids \u2013 including documents, proposed host cities and government guarantees \u2013 to reach its Cairo headquarters.<\/p>\n

The finals were initially awarded to Guinea, but the West African country was\u00a0stripped of hosting rights at the start of October\u00a0because of a lack of suitably advanced infrastructure and facilities.<\/p>\n

Guinea had nearly a decade to prepare for the finals, having originally been named as host of the 2023 Nations Cup in 2014, but were then asked to host in 2025 instead.<\/p>\n

Last month Ivory Coast\u2019s government\u00a0signed a formal hosting agreement with Caf\u00a0for the 2023 Nations Cup, which will actually take place in early 2024.<\/p>\n

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