Venue changes raise questions about Uganda's CHAN 2024 preparations

There are more questions than answers about whether Uganda will provide up-to-date training facilities for the upcoming African Nations Championships (CHAN), which will be jointly hosted with Kenya and Tanzania early next year.

With the Kyambogo University training facility failing to meet the February 1-28 tournament deadlines, Uganda has opted for another venue. The Kyambogo facility will continue undergoing construction to meet the December 2025 AFCON deadlines.

The Kampala International School Uganda (KISU) football pitch in Bukoto joins Muteesa II Stadium in Wankulukuku and Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium as the other training venues.

A source from the CHAN2024/AFCON2027 committee confirmed the replacement of the Kyambogo facility with the Bukoto-based KISU. “We narrowed it down to a facility that meets the standards of the organizer, and this will provide an alternative for us to host the CHAN tournament successfully,” the source stated.

With the recent changes in the training venues, questions now linger on whether Uganda will be able to successfully host the CHAN tournament.

The three venues—Wankulukuku, Wakisha, and KISU—will join the Namboole stadium training facility.

However, the forthcoming visit of CAF President Patrice Motsepe on Friday will shed more light on the selected venues and possible areas of concern to be addressed.

All the training venues require floodlights to permit teams to carry out their training sessions both during the day and night. The Namboole training facility floodlights are undergoing further improvement as per the last CAF inspection recommendations.

Apart from the Namboole dressing rooms, the other three venues, especially KISU, need dressing rooms set up at the facility, while those at Wankulukuku and Wakisha stadia need facelifts.

The playing surfaces of the Wankulukuku and Wakisha-based facilities are also an issue that will be highlighted to the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), particularly those in charge of infrastructure, to ensure the grounds meet the standards.