According to statements from the Office of the State House Spokesperson, Kenya will host the 2027 African Cup of Nations opening and closing ceremonies.
These ceremonies will be held at the Talanta Sports City Stadium, which is currently under construction and expected to be ready for the competition.
According to reports, the Ministry of Sports will put up a 60,000-seater Talanta Sports City at the Jamhuri Grounds. This will be among the largest sports stadiums in the region and is planned to meet the standards of FIFA to host international matches.
“Tremendous progress in the construction of the Talanta Sports City, the prime Sports Arena being built at the Jamhuri Grounds, under Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba’s Sports Ministry. This will be the venue for the 2027 Afcon opening and closing ceremonies,” the State House Spokesperson said in a press release.
This includes hosting AFCON 2027, slated for Kenya, in conjunction with Uganda and Tanzania.
The organisation of fixtures, announcing events, and logistics will all go through the Confederation of African Football.
Other than the Talanta Sports City Stadium, reports say other stadiums slated to host matches in Kenya include the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani and Nyayo Stadium.
In Tanzania, the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and CCM Kirumba Stadium have tentatively been listed as venues of the AFCON matches, while in Uganda, the Mandela and Nakivubo stadiums are slated to host the event.
The Talanta Sports City Stadium, constructed by the Kenya Defence Forces under the Ministry of Sports, will likely be complete by December 2025. Though the construction cost has not been openly declared, it is above Ksh30 billion.
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