AFCON 2027: February greenlight for Namboole works as Uganda tightens preps

Uganda’s push to be fully ready for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is gathering pace, with major facility projects beginning to take clearer shape across the country.

With Hoima City Stadium already complete, construction works ongoing in Lira, and several training grounds being prepared, attention has now turned back to Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

The iconic venue, which was closed again in September 2025, is set to finally undergo its long-awaited upgrade.

Speaking on Saturday, January 24, the National Council of Sports (NCS) General Secretary, Dr. Patrick Bernard Ogwel, confirmed that works at Namboole will officially kick off in February.

“Once all the preparations are concluded, the upgrade works at Namboole will start in February. The funding will be released in phases, but we are confident the stadium will be ready in time for AFCON 2027,” Ogwel noted.

The update was shared during a high-level consultative meeting that brought together senior sports administrators and technical experts from different sectors.

The meeting was aimed at collecting views and proposals as government, through the Ministry of Education and Sports and the National Council of Sports, moves to operationalise the National Sports Facilities Regulations.

During the discussions, Kyambogo University sports tutor and Association of Uganda University Sport president George Wagogo raised strong concerns about the long-standing culture of poor facility maintenance.

He also questioned the practice of placing the wrong personnel in charge of facilities and allowing non-sporting activities such as concerts and crusades to take place in major stadiums.

Namboole was cited as a key example of how mismanagement over the years led to the stadium losing its certification, forcing Uganda to host some of its international matches outside the country.

The task force handling the consultations is still receiving submissions, with stakeholders given a one-week window to present their ideas to the National Council of Sports as Uganda fine-tunes its roadmap to successfully host the Pamoja AFCON 2027.