The EAC Pamoja Bid of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania spent just a fraction of what Botswana splashed on their bid book but still secured the hosting rights of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations
Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania spent over Ksh500 million less than Botswana on their bid book for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations but still trumped their rivals to win the hosting rights.
The East Africa Community (EAC) Pamoja Bid of the three countries was handed the hosting rights of the continental tournament in September amid cries from Botswana over what they termed ‘suspicious’ bid selection rules and it has now emerged that the Southern African nation burned so much money and ended up on the losing side.
08:15 - 03.10.2023
FOOTBALL AFCON 2027: The hundreds of millions Botswana splashed on bid book but lost to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
Botswana are counting losses running into hundreds of millions in the wake of their failed bid to secure the AFCON 2027 hosting rights
According to Botswana publication Mmegi, East Africa’s bid was reportedly cost-effective, with the figure put at just over P10 million (Ksh107,793,893) for the campaign to win the rights to host the 2027 edition.
Botswana went all out, with a P61 million (Ksh657,542,750) bid book driving costs up after authorities engaged a South African consultant, Ruben Reddy to put together the 569-page document.
16:00 - 13.10.2023
FOOTBALL AFCON 2027: Botswana cries foul over ‘suspicious’ bid selection rules that handed Kenya, Uganda & Tanzania hosting rights
Botswana has questioned the ‘suspicious’ selection criteria used by CAF to hand Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania the AFCON 2027 bid when an inspection report ‘ranked them better’
Ruben Reddy Architects had approximately 30 days to produce the three-volume book. Reddy clarified that such tight time frames and resource requirements are common for international sports bids.
Botswana had high hopes in Ruben Reddy Architects who have a lot of experience in producing winning bids. They produced documents for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the Russia 2018 World Cup.
16:33 - 28.10.2023
STADIA Namwamba explains why stalled ‘historic’ Kamariny Stadium will not be completed
Sports CS Ababu Namwamba has put an end to talk over the completion of Kamariny Stadium.
However, they were not successful this time as the Pamoja Bid secured the rights with Botswana, Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria missing out.
Kenya’s Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has explained how the East African nations went on a charm offensive to ensure they won the hosting rights while hitting out at their detractors who wanted the Pamoja Bid to flop.
“Many of you believed we could not win the bid to host AFCON 2027 but because of the team we put together, the lobbying we had done, the backroom diplomatic blitz that we had undertaken and the support of Presidents William Ruto, Yoweri Museveni and Samia Suluhu, I was so sure after I made the presentation to CAF, I went to sleep because I was so confident,” Namwamba said on Saturday.
“There were so any doubting Thomas’s in Nairobi, there were even those who did not want us to get this bid, they were praying.
20:40 - 03.10.2023
FOOTBALL Kenya Cabinet approves construction of new 60,000 stadium for AFCON
The facility is expected to be the 'Talanta Sports City' at Jamhuri, which was included under the bid among the new stadiums that will be constructed.
“Now they are praying that like in 1996 when we got it and it was taken away, like in 2018 when we got CHAN and it was taken away, they are now praying that it is taken away, I am sorry to disappoint you, this is going nowhere.”
The bid books had outlined the cost estimations for all infrastructure upgrades that the bidding countries intended to work on if they were successful.
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