The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dr. Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has commended Uganda’s preparations for the African Nations Championship (CHAN), scheduled to take place from February 1 to 24, 2025.
Motsepe uttered his favourable assessment during a brief media interaction on Friday evening after inspecting Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) and its training ground.
The visit was part of his tour of East African countries—Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania—to assess their readiness for the CHAN tournament.
He noted that CAF inspectors stationed in Uganda had been providing regular updates on the progress, and praised the excellent condition of Namboole Stadium and its training facilities, expressing optimism that Uganda’s efforts would ensure CHAN 2025 becomes one of the most successful editions ever.
Beyond the sporting aspect, Dr. Motsepe noted the broader impact of hosting CHAN by bringing people together, thus contributing to social and economic development in host nations, which the three hosting countries will benefit from.
East Africa was awarded the hosting rights for CHAN 2025 as a precursor to hosting the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027. Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania recently secured the joint bid for AFCON, and the CHAN tournament is expected to serve as a benchmark for their readiness.
Since then, the three nations have been racing against time to upgrade their facilities for CHAN, a competition that exclusively features players from domestic leagues, unlike AFCON, which includes international stars.
At the time of the CHAN bid, Kenya lacked a CAF-approved stadium, while Uganda and Tanzania each had one certified venue. But, the Kenyan government has consistently committed to preparing at least two stadia in time for the tournament.
However, the November CAF inspection found that Kenya is yet to have a CAF-approved stadium with both the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani (60,000 seats) and Nyayo National Stadium (30,000 seats) undergoing renovations but not yet having met CAF standards.
This prompted rumors that CAF might transfer Kenya’s hosting rights to Rwanda. However, Kabelo Bosilong, CAF’s host country manager for Kenya, dispelled these claims and reaffirmed that CAF remains committed to hosting CHAN across all three nations as originally planned.
Meanwhile in Uganda, preparations are well underway. Besides the renovations at Namboole, the government has initiated the construction of two 20,000-seater stadia and a training ground.
One is the Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium in Lira City, for which Uganda recently signed a $129 million agreement with Egypt’s SAMCO National Construction Company. This follows another major project—the Hoima Multi-Purpose Stadium—being constructed by Turkish Firm M/S SUMMA.
Additionally, the government recently partnered with Kyambogo University to upgrade one of its football pitches into a modern training facility, and work is already underway.
The UGX 14.3 billion project includes the installation of natural grass, floodlights, and an irrigation system, further solidifying Uganda’s commitment to hosting CHAN and future international tournaments.
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