The celebrations that followed the commissioning of Hoima City Stadium are now being overshadowed by fresh concerns after inspectors found that the venue still falls short of the standards required to host matches at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Despite being one of Uganda’s flagship projects for the East Africa Pamoja AFCON tournament, CAF’s latest assessment reportedly identified several operational shortcomings that must be addressed before the stadium can receive full approval.
Among the issues highlighted are poor segregation of spectators, cross-movement between VIPs, media personnel, players and ordinary fans, dressing rooms that do not fully meet tournament requirements, inadequate media facilities, and visibility challenges caused by the positioning of team benches. Inspectors also raised concerns about the location of the mixed zone and limited operational space around the facility.
The findings come as a surprise to many football fans who believed the newly completed 20,000-seater stadium was already ready for Africa’s biggest football tournament after its official commissioning in late 2025.
However, government officials insist the situation is far from a crisis. State Minister for Sports, Peter Ogwang, previously maintained that any recommendations from CAF would be implemented and that Uganda remains firmly on course to host AFCON 2027 alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
CAF is expected to conduct another inspection in August 2026, with Uganda racing against time to complete the required adjustments. By then, authorities are expected to demonstrate redesigned spectator circulation systems, upgraded dressing rooms, improved media infrastructure and other operational improvements demanded by inspectors.
For now, Hoima City Stadium remains one of Uganda’s most impressive sporting facilities, but the message from inspectors is clear: impressive construction alone will not be enough. To host AFCON, every detail must meet CAF’s elite Category 4 requirements.