As Uganda gears up to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the nation’s sports officials are pushing back against unfair comparisons with Morocco’s recent successful tournament hosting.
Dr. Bernard Patrick Ogwel, General Secretary of the National Council of Sports (NCS), has addressed the ongoing dialogue regarding the feasibility of Uganda matching Morocco’s high standards, especially after the latter showcased exceptional stadiums, infrastructure, and tight security during AFCON 2025.
Concerns have been raised about Uganda’s preparedness as it partners with Kenya and Tanzania for the forthcoming tournament, with critics questioning whether the East African nation can reach Morocco’s impressive benchmarks.
Ogwel Responds to Criticism
Ogwel contends that such comparisons overlook the extensive investments that Morocco has made over decades. With aspirations to co-host the 2034 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, Morocco’s long-term planning sets it apart from its Ugandan counterpart.
“I have been to Morocco, I thank the government, but if you might have noticed, the investment of the Moroccan government was for 30 years and among which they were aiming to host the World Cup,” he stated, highlighting the sustained commitment Morocco has made to sports infrastructure.
“If you ask me the volume of government budget on sports infrastructure overall in Morocco is $16 billion that is stretched over a long period of time,” Ogwel added, emphasizing the scale of investment involved.
“And for them as a government, they are using football to bring national development, tourism and all other issues of national development.”
A Different Vision for Uganda
Ogwel insists that Uganda’s ambitions differ significantly, influencing the nature and scale of its investment in sports infrastructure. He remarked on the nation’s primary focus of successfully hosting AFCON 2027.
“Meanwhile, here, our focus basically was to host AFCON 2027 and there is a big difference in the ambition of the two countries,” he asserted, clarifying Uganda’s strategic priorities.
“Nevertheless, our government has committed funds and all the projects we have undertaken, we are undertaking feasibility study and the reports are out in favour of the government undertaking these development programmes.”
The Mandela National Stadium and Hoima Stadium have been earmarked as the primary venues for the tournament, as Uganda prepares to showcase its own capabilities on an international stage.
