AFCON27 bid chasing five-stars -CAF inspectors give BIDCO27 10 days
After a thorough inspection of potential venues for the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), CAF has given the Botswana bid committee 10 days to submit additional information to support their case. The auditors assessed four sites in Botswana, including the Francistown Stadium, Kasane Stadium, Lobatse Stadium, and the Gaborone National Stadium.
With the deadline looming, the bid committee is working overtime to provide the necessary documentation to ensure a successful bid. The outcome of the audit could prove pivotal in determining whether Botswana will host the prestigious tournament.
Technical 2027 Bid Committee Chairperson, Ashford Mamelodi, expressed satisfaction with the audit but acknowledged that there is still a lot of work to be done in a short time frame. The auditors pointed out a lack of 5-star hotels in Botswana. The committee has vowed to work diligently to address these issues and submit the necessary documentation before the deadline.
“The CAF auditors have requested a more detailed budget from us, and they have also expressed concern about the lack of five-star hotels in Gaborone. According to their research, the city lacks the necessary hotel infrastructure to host the AFCON tournament. We have yet to engage with hotel owners to explore the possibility of upgrading their facilities to meet the highest ratings. We need to take concrete steps to ensure that the hotel ratings in Gaborone are improved,” Mamelodi noted.
He said that the CAF inspectors have reviewed Botswana’s bid book thoroughly and have a clear understanding of what they aim to achieve with their bid for the AFCON 2027, adding that the purpose of their visit was to assess the feasibility of the proposed stadium upgrades and changes to ensure that they are realistic and achievable within the given timeframe. He said that they are confident in the strength of the bid and remain committed to making the necessary improvements to host a world-class tournament.
“The CAF inspectors spent a considerable amount of time at the stadiums, evaluating our current facilities and our plans for improvement. They wanted to ensure that our bid book wasn't just presenting a pipe dream and that we had the capability to deliver on our promises. I can confidently say that we were 100% ready for their visit and had no issues whatsoever with how they conducted the audit. We were pleased with the thoroughness of their inspection and feel that we made a strong case for hosting the AFCON 2027,” Mamelodi stated.
He added that they are aware of the seriousness of the competition, but they believe in their bid and are prepared to face any competition.
“In our assessment as the bid committee, we believe that the inspection visit was a resounding success. In just two days, we were able to showcase four potential venues to the inspectors, and they were very impressed with what they saw. We were able to give them a comprehensive view of our plans, and they were satisfied with what we presented. From our perspective, the inspection process was a huge success.” He stated.