Uncertainty remains over which country will take centre stage during the most important moments of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, with organisers yet to decide who will host the opening match and the final.
This means Kenya is still waiting to learn whether the proposed Talanta Stadium in Nairobi will be handed either of these key fixtures.
The tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, is scheduled to begin on June 19, 2027.
According to the official calendar, the opening match will be played on that day, with the final set for July 17, 2027. This slightly differs from earlier communication released in April, which had indicated that the competition would run until July 18.
In a statement issued on May 2, the Confederation of African Football said it will announce the hosts of both the opening match and the final at a later date.
The governing body also confirmed that the tournament dates were approved by the FIFA Council during a meeting held in Vancouver, Canada.
Attention is now turning to the qualification process, which will determine the teams that will compete in the tournament.
The draw for the qualifiers is set to take place on May 19, 2026. A total of 48 teams, including the three host nations, will take part. These teams will be divided into 12 groups, each consisting of four teams, with the top two teams from every group securing a place in the final tournament.
CAF has outlined the windows during which the qualifiers will be played. Matches are expected to take place between September 21 and October 6, as well as November 9 to 17 in 2026, before the final round of qualifiers is held from March 22 to 30 in 2027.
Several stadiums across the three host countries are being considered for major matches. In Kenya, the proposed Talanta Stadium, which is expected to hold 60,000 fans, is among the venues under consideration for either the opening or closing match.
Other facilities in Nairobi, including the refurbished Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums, are also expected to host matches or serve as training grounds, alongside Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.
In Tanzania, organisers are preparing to use the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, as well as a new stadium in Arusha named after President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar.
Uganda, on the other hand, is focusing on new developments in Hoima and Lira, in addition to the upgraded Nakivubo Stadium.
The final decision on key match venues is expected to shape how each country positions itself ahead of the continental tournament.