The office of the State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed has revealed that Kenya will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2027 African Cup of Nations.

In a statement on Sunday, July 7, Mohamed noted that the ceremonies will be held at the Talanta Sports City Stadium which is currently under construction.

The 60,000-seater stadium is in the process of being built after President William Ruto gave the go-ahead for its construction in March 2024.

“The tremendous progress in the construction of the 60,000-seater Talanta Sports City, the prime Sports Arena being built at the Jamhuri Grounds, under CS Ababu Namwamba ‘s Sports Ministry. This is where the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2027 Afcon will be held,” the office of the State House Spokesperson stated.

Kenya in September 2023 won the bid the host the 2027 AFCON tournament alongside Tanzania and Uganda.

The three East African nations bid together to host Africa’s biggest football tournament, beating off competition from Senegal, Egypt, and Botswana.

The Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, and Nyayo stadiums which are currently under construction are also expected to host AFCON matches in Kenya.

In Tanzania, the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and the CCM Kirumba Stadium are provisionally on the list to host AFCON matches. Uganda, on the other hand, is expected to host matches at Mandela and Nakivubo stadiums.

Kenya is no stranger to hosting privileges, having been chosen to host the 1996 edition of the AFCON but then stripped of the honor because its stadiums did not meet the required international standards.

In 2018, CAF also stripped Kenya of the right to host the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) due to a lack of facilities.

For the 2027 AFCON, Kenya is expected to spend upwards of Ksh 30 billion.