Hosting AFCON 2027 will be great for Uganda

Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania recently won the bid to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Tournament. The news has been largely received with excitement and expectations by young people in the region. The Youth Blitz sounded out some youth on what their expectations of hosting this great tournament are.

Pamela Otali, 21, student

It is very good news for Uganda because it is the first time we are hosting such a big tournament. It also means that the Cranes will automatically qualify for Afcon. My expectation is that the authorities in all the three countries work on the necessary infrastructure to ensure that the tournament is successful.

Isaac Nansambu, 27, banker

I think it is a big thing that is going to being us tourists and put Uganda on the map. We have to begin planning now to ensure that everything is in order especially the stadiums and roads. We shall pull it off.

Abdul Wahab Matovu, 33, businessman

As a businessman, I see many opportunities. There are so many people who are going to come to Uganda and these people will need various services. I am talking about hotels, tourism spots, food and everything. We have to be ready to take these opportunities.

Stella Nagadya, 27, journalist

My view is that the tournament will showcase Uganda as the true pearl of Africa. I know the image many people have of Uganda is that of Idi Amin. But once they come here see this beautiful country and nice people all this will change. What we need now is to prepare in advance.

Aisha Namugoji, 31, teacher

Everyone needs to work together to ensure that the tournament is a success. I am talking about politicians, business people, civil servants and all of us. We need to know that the chance to host such a tournament comes once in a lifetime for a country like Uganda. So we need to exhibit good behavior and be hospitable to the people.

Derrick Kiyingi, 29, civil engineer

As a football fan, I think it is good for Uganda and the region to host this tournament. However the Cranes must pull up their socks in order not to disappoint local football fans. We need to play well and go far in the tournament if we are to sustain the interest in the tournament. We don’t want Uganda Cranes to be knocked out in the first round because some fans may lose interest.

Simon Mujuni, 26, businessman

It is the best news so far for Uganda this year. We need to seize this opportunity with two hands and ensure that nothing goes wrong between now and 2027. This means that we must all pull in one direction. In my view the most critical thing to work on are the stadiums and hotels.

Chrsitine Labejja, 30, boutique owner

Hosting the AFCON tournament is a good thing but are we ready? I think we need to do so many things to ensure that the tournament passes off successfully. I don’t want us to have mishaps so the good thing is that we still have time on our hands to put right whatever has gone wrong. At the end of the day I am hopeful that we shall have a good tournament.