Patrice Motsepe hits out at AFCON 2027 'misinformation' as he admits Pamoja preparations are an 'emergency'

CAF president Patrice Motsepe has hit back at what he described as 'misinformation' surrounding preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, while acknowledging that organisers are facing an 'emergency' with just nine months remaining before the tournament. 

Motsepe was speaking in Dar es Salaam on Thursday as part of a visit to the three 2027 co-hosts - Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda - for next year's tournament, which has been dubbed 'Pamoja', a Swahili word meaning 'togetherness' or 'as one'. Despite persistent concerns over infrastructure and the readiness of the three East African nations, Motsepe was emphatic that CAF is not contemplating moving the tournament elsewhere.

"There is no Plan B, there is no Plan C, there never will be a Plan B, there never will be a Plan C," Motsepe told journalists in Thursday's press conference. "We are going to work very hard in Tanzania. 

"I'm in Tanzania today and I'll take a similar message to Kenya and later give the same message to Uganda.  "We're going to work together and those areas where we are falling behind, we'll correct them."

However, Motsepe's bullish defence of the Pamoja project was accompanied by an acknowledgement of the scale of the challenge still facing the co-hosts, with each of the three countries at different stages of progress as they look to ready their facilities and infrastructure for next year's showpiece.

"I have seen improvements since my last visit," Motsepe continued. "The problem is we are nine months away from the Afcon, which is a big emergency. 

"What is also an emergency is those specific areas that have been brought to my attention where they say, 'President, we are behind. President Motsepe, there's room for improvement here.'"

Motsepe nevertheless appeared frustrated by the portrayal of those shortcomings in the local and international media, arguing that legitimate concerns over preparations had at times been exaggerated. 

"Many of you see these negative media reports and I think some of them are misinformation," he added, before later noting: "The deficiencies are being exacerbated; the areas that require improvement are being exacerbated, and it creates a wrong perception." 

While insisting that he welcomes an independent press scrutinising CAF and exposing the organisation's failures, Motsepe also issued a pointed request for greater balance.

"The media must be objective," he said. "Criticise us and make sure that they make us aware of our failures and our deficiencies. It's very important. We need that. 

"What we would also request is where there's good work that's happening in Tanzania, say so."

Pressed directly on whether there could eventually come a point when Tanzania was deemed too far behind to host, Motsepe doubled down on his resolve that there was no way the tournament wouldn't take place in the three countries next year as planned. 

"There will not be a Plan B," he said. "There will not be a stage when there will be a perception that Tanzania is irrevocably behind." 

CAF will continue monitoring preparations before Motsepe returns to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda in January for what he described as the final assessment ahead of Pamoja 2027.

The tournament is provisionally due to kick off on June 19, with the final to take place on July 17.