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Uganda and Tanzania, two of the countries that will co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON ) with Kenya, are close to early elimination at the ongoing tournament in Morocco, showing how much work still needs to be done ahead of hosting the competition.
Both teams face must-win group matches on Tuesday. Uganda will play Nigeria, while Tanzania will face Tunisia. Failure to win could end their campaigns.
The two East African sides drew 1–1 on Saturday in Rabat. Uganda scored an equaliser but later missed a penalty that could have given them a vital win.
Uganda have struggled at the tournament over the years. Since reaching the final in 1978, they have recorded only one win in nine AFCON matches. Tanzania are appearing at the competition for just the fourth time and have never won a match.
Tanzania coach Miguel Angel Gamondi said his team has shown improvement despite being one of the lowest-ranked sides.
“I told the players we are the fourth-weakest team in the Africa Cup of Nations, but we have played two games on another level,” Gamondi told AFP.
The coach, who took charge shortly before the tournament, said he intends to change the team’s mindset and help the players believe they can compete.
“My goal is to change the mentality, show we can compete, put a winning mindset in these players, and if we are 112 now, then I hope in a short time we can be lower than 100,” Gamondi said.
“One of the problems in Tanzania is that clubs can field 12 foreign players,” Gamondi continued, explaining why Simba and Young Africans, two of Dar es Salaam’s biggest teams, are among the best on the continent.
“Infrastructure is also a big problem. There are no good quality pitches. But for me, the biggest problem is the lack of youth development.
“What we need in Tanzania is to produce good players who can go to Europe and compete and develop there, because in the local league…there’s no competition and players cannot grow up.”
Tanzania are ranked 112th in the world and began their campaign with a narrow loss to Nigeria. Gamondi said poor youth development, bad pitches and too many foreign players in the local league are slowing progress.
Tanzania’s most well-known player is striker Ally Samatta, who plays in France and previously featured for Aston Villa. Most of the squad, however, plays in the local league.
Uganda are ranked higher at 85th in the world, but their team is also young and lacks top-level experience. Their coach, Paul Put, said the focus is on building a strong team for 2027.
“We have a very young team, and my responsibility is to build a team for 2027 so I’m giving them the chance to get more experience,” Put said.
“For 2027, we have to be in good shape with good players.”
Kenya, the third co-host for 2027, did not qualify for the current Africa Cup of Nations, missing the tournament for the third time in a row.
