David GOMBE
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) inspection team led by Dr Christian Emeruwa (Head of Safety & Security) and Stephanie Totokra (Head of Infrastructure) conducted the inspections at host venues for AFCON 2027 and declared that none of the three hosting nations (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) was ready.
According to CAF report the newly constructed Hoima City Stadium
Hoima City Stadium required an operational redesign. Despite having a completed structure and operational, several major operational deficiencies were identified.
CAF revealed the key issues that need to be addressed before the next inspection due in August this year.
The key issues identified are;
*Absence of clear segregation between spectator categories;
*Cross-circulation between media, VIP, teams and general spectators;
Non-compliant referee dressing rooms;
*Non-compliance of players’ dressing rooms;
*Media facilities below AFCON standards;
*Mixed zone incorrectly located within the competition area;
*Limited operational buffer space due to the stadium’s geographical location.
*Current position of the benches causing a major view obstruction from the stands.
By August this year, the inspection team expects the following areas should be cleared and fulfilled;
•Confirmed government funding for infrastructure and operations.
•Substantial completion of stadium construction and refurbishment works, with a minimum of 80% completion where applicable, to allow for installation, testing, and operational readiness activities.
•Installation, integration and commissioning of critical stadium systems, including floodlighting, safety and security infrastructure, communication systems, and emergency management systems.
•Upgrading and certification of all designated training facilities to meet CAF AFCON minimum technical, safety, and operational standards.
•Demonstrable progress on supporting infrastructure, including access roads, traffic circulation plans, utilities, power redundancy systems, and perimeter security installations around competition venues.
•Confirmation of airport operational readiness, including arrival/departure handling capacity, VIP and team processing procedures, and coordination with immigration and customs authorities.
•Confirmation of sufficient hotel accommodation capacity meeting CAF requirements for teams, officials, media, commercial partners and other tournament stakeholders.
•Establishment and confirmation of a common visa facilitation framework across the three host countries to ensure smooth and timely entry for all accredited tournament stakeholders.
