State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang has dismissed concerns over Hoima City Stadium's readiness for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), insisting Uganda remains on course to meet all Confederation of African Football (CAF) requirements ahead of a crucial inspection scheduled for August.
Speaking on Sunday during a government inspection tour of key national projects in the Bunyoro sub-region, Ogwang assured Ugandans that the issues previously identified by CAF are already being addressed and will not jeopardise the country's preparations to co-host the continental tournament alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
"We are coming back on August 31 to carry out the last inspection to this facility. I want to assure the people of Uganda that we are here for a purpose, and that is to deliver AFCON 2027 as directed by the President," Ogwang said.
He added that all outstanding works would be completed by December 31, 2026.
The minister was part of a high-level delegation led by Vice President Jessica Alupo that toured Hoima City Stadium before proceeding to inspect oil and gas projects in the Bunyoro region.
His remarks come few months after CAF inspection teams flagged several shortcomings at the newly commissioned stadium.
Among the areas flagged were inadequate dressing rooms, limited media and VIP spaces, and concerns about spectator movement and the positioning of players' benches.
The observations sparked concerns that the 20,000-seater facility, one of Uganda's flagship AFCON venues, could fall short of the stringent Category Four standards required to host matches at Africa's premier football tournament.
However, Ogwang,.on Sunday downplayed the concerns, describing them as manageable adjustments rather than fundamental flaws.
According to him, some of the recommendations involve creating an additional access road for VVIP guests, redesigning media access routes and expanding the media tribune to align with CAF requirements.
"We met the standards. It is compulsory and we are going to meet all the standards that were identified," he said.
The minister also took aim at critics circulating claims online that Uganda risks failing to meet CAF deadlines.
He suggested that some of the narratives were being driven by individuals with ulterior motives, including interests that may not favour Uganda hosting the tournament.
"Some of those people who are tweeting might be agents of people who do not want our country to progress," Ogwang said.
"There are countries that would want to host this competition and they have continued saying Uganda will not be ready. I want to call upon Ugandans, for once, to love your country."
He urged the public to disregard what he termed as "naysayers" and instead focus on the progress already achieved.
The stadium, officially commissioned in late 2025, has been widely recognised as one of Uganda's biggest sports infrastructure investments and forms a central pillar of the country's AFCON preparations.
Previous assessments have praised the quality of its playing surface, while government officials maintain that ongoing enhancements are part of the normal process of aligning a newly completed facility with CAF's final tournament specifications.
Attention will now turn to the August 31 inspection, which is expected to provide a clearer indication of Uganda's readiness before final assessments later in the year.
Ugandan authorities remain optimistic that Hoima City Stadium will ultimately satisfy all CAF requirements in time for AFCON 2027.
