It is tempting to look at the World Cup and
marvel at the spectacle, the packed stadiums, dazzling opening ceremonies and
flawless television production. But the real story was told away from the
cameras.
The tournament succeeded because responsibility was shared devoid of
bloated egos and cheap incompetence.
Decisions were made where they mattered
most, by people closest to the action, while national governments concentrated
on functions only, they could perform.
The 2026 World Cup was the largest in
history, bringing together 48 teams in 104 matches spread across three
countries.
The United States hosted 78 matches, including every fixture from
the quarter-finals onwards, while Canada and Mexico staged 13 matches each. It
was not an equal distribution but an efficient one, reflecting infrastructure
capacity and logistical realities rather than political sensitivities.
Every
host city had its own local organising committee working directly with Fifa,
allowing decisions on transport, volunteers, stadium operations, accommodation
and fan services to be made locally instead of waiting for instructions from a
distant national headquarters.
National governments oversaw elements like
security, immigration, customs, transport and emergency response that required
close cooperation across agencies and across borders.
In the United States, President Donald
Trump established a White House task force to bring together federal
departments and ensure that planning was coordinated from the highest level of
government. It was not another layer of bureaucracy; it was a mechanism for
eliminating it.
Kenya should seriously consider a similar multidisciplinary
Afcon task force. It should bring together the Ministries of Sports, Interior,
Transport, Tourism, Health, ICT and Foreign Affairs, alongside county
governments and the Football Kenya Federation. One table. One chain of command.
One place where problems are solved before they become crises. Major
tournaments are not derailed by lack of ambition. They are derailed by agencies
working in silos.
But the greatest lesson lies even
lower. FKF should resist the instinct to run Afcon from Nairobi. Its
county branches and regional affiliates should not merely be informed of
decisions; they should be part of making them.
Every host venue should have a
local organising committee comprising county officials, football
administrators, security agencies, hospitals, transport providers, hotels,
universities, business leaders and volunteers.
These are the people who
understand their localities. They know the roads that choke during rush hour,
the hospitals that can respond fastest, the hotels with spare capacity and the
businesses capable of supporting the tournament.
Ownership breeds efficiency. People work
harder for projects they feel belong to them than for instructions issued from
headquarters.
And being the first tri-nation hosting of the continental jamboree,
diplomacy is right at the centre of the game, and prominently so given the
usual regional politics that dog the relationship with our neighbours.
Anyone
familiar with East Africa knows that Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania enjoy a
relationship that is cordial one day and competitive the next. Trade disputes,
policy disagreements and occasional diplomatic spats have become part of our
regional politics.
Yet Afcon demands that these rivalries be placed on ice, at
least for a month. The United States, Canada and Mexico have hardly
enjoyed a frictionless relationship in recent years. They have sparred over
trade, immigration and border policy.
Yet once the tournament approached, they
understood that the success of the World Cup depended on presenting one seamless
event rather than three competing national projects.
Given the tourism and
business benefits that the sporting fete presented, it was in their interest to
bury hatchets, even for a moment. Jumuiya can do the same.
A supporter
landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for a match in Nairobi should be
able to travel to Kampala for a quarter-final or Dar es Salaam for another
fixture without encountering unnecessary administrative hurdles.
Immigration
systems, transport planning, security protocols and fan information should
speak the same language even if the three countries retain different
governments. “Pamoja” cannot remain a slogan printed on banners. It
must define how the tournament is run.
There is also a long-term prize worth
pursuing.
Kenya is investing heavily in sports
infrastructure, from Talanta Sports City to the rehabilitation and construction
of stadiums across the country. These investments should not be judged solely
by whether they impress Caf inspectors.
Their true value will be measured years
after the final whistle. Stadiums that host league matches, school
competitions, concerts and community events will justify every shilling spent.
Stadiums that remain locked behind rusting gates will become monuments to poor
planning.
But even the finest stadium cannot
compensate for poor management.
Afcon 2027 will not be remembered because
Kenya built a few new sports facilities. It will be remembered for whether East
Africa proved that three countries can plan, coordinate and deliver a tournament
that works.
The football will take care of itself. The real contest begins long
before the opening match. It will be won in committee rooms, county offices,
immigration desks, control centres and local organising committees where
thousands of small decisions determine whether millions of people experience a
tournament worth remembering.
If there is one lesson from North America,
it is this: successful tournaments are not centralised. They are coordinated
from the top but delivered from the ground up. That is the model Kenya should
embrace as Afcon 2027 draws closer.
