On March 17, Caf, Africa’s football body, shamelessly stripped Senegal of its Afcon glory and instead cited some questionable rules to declare Morocco the champions.
This is perhaps the most ridiculous ruling I have heard from Caf, even though the body is not a stranger to the strange application of the rules of the game. In such an issue, especially when matters have been overtaken by events, only logic should apply.
Caf’s ruling is, in many ways, a damning indictment of the lack of unity among the continent’s football associations (FAs). For the record, the only FA I have seen on record supporting Senegal is that of Algeria.
Even regional blocs such as WAFU, Cecafa, or even Cosafa remain mute. This literally means power is being consolidated at the top as regional football entities continue to lose relevance.
For instance, today no country wants to host the Cecafa Cup. All this sits well with the top Caf organs, especially for Caf president Patrice Motsepe, whose firm grip on the body increases by the year.
HOW READY IS UGANDA TO CO-HOST AFCON?
And just last week, Caf released a damning assessment report of Uganda’s preparedness to co-host the 2027 Afcon. Anyone who knows the inner workings of the body understands this is meant to push the co-hosts to speed up preparations. So, I have no doubt we will be ready—but at what cost?
I am genuinely dreading a situation where we sleepwalk into the tournament now that we are just 14 months away. The concern is not that we may fail to host the tournament, but that we may end up co-hosting just for the sake of it.
For instance, we don’t seem to have a joint coordination team, given that our co-hosts Kenya and Tanzania also did not meet Caf expectations. It is as though everyone is on their own. Granted, the key issue I wish to have sorted is the mass inclusiveness of the public.
We may be ready with the infrastructure by June 2027 when the tournament kicks off, but how we approach the roadmap is of utmost importance, especially as far as publicity is concerned.
People such as Kin Karissa, Robert Kabushenga, Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, Andrew Mwenda, Mike Mukula, Amos Wekesa, Godfrey Kirumira, Hamis Kiggundu, and Emmanuel Katongole, among others, should have already been incorporated to promote the tournament. Each of them brings a unique aspect to the game.
At the moment, Afcon should be a song in schools to capture the attention of the youth. Football stakeholders may also need to tap into how Hellen Seku, the Commissioner, National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC), is mobilising citizens.
She is doing a great job on patriotism, and our local Afcon team can pick a leaf from her. Lest I forget, how can there be an organising committee without Dr Lawrence Mulindwa, one of the biggest investors in the game?
We also have shrewd leaders like Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga, whose endorsement of the tournament could be the difference between having 10,000 fans and 40,000 fans in the stadium. This is not rocket science.
So, how can one convince me that, with 14 months to go, it is acceptable that there is not a single billboard on the roads promoting the tournament? Where is the Allan Okello poster for the tournament?
At the moment, we should be seeing people wearing Afcon T-shirts to promote the tournament. There is not even a song yet about Afcon. How about bringing in legends to drive the show?
What is so hard about getting someone like Jackson Mayanja to mentor the midfielders or a figure like Ibrahim Kirya to handle the defenders? The main importance is not tactical or physical; it is emotional anchoring.
A legend like Sadiq Wassa reminds a talented but sometimes fragile player like Ismail Watenga who they are, what they are capable of, and why it matters. For a team like the Uganda Cranes, that kind of mentoring can turn a good squad into a dangerous one.
On the surface, this may seem uncoordinated, but it can form a key part of the sensational promotion of the tournament. In all this, I have noted that most of the effort has gone into meeting standards, yet publicity and hype matter just as much. That is why some Afcon hosts enjoy full-capacity crowds while others face empty seats. We cannot afford the latter.
The time to act is now, before it is too late.
The author is a football investor and SC Villa president emeritus
