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Enough of the euphoria and elation. The celebrations have somewhat relented, and we can now go back to earth. But before we do, it is important to understand the inside details of how the Pamoja bid succeeded, having been unfancied for so long a time.
We know that Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania made a historic three-country bid, the first of its kind in Africa, in the race to win the hosting rights for East Africa for the 2027 edition.
We also know that the bid of the three neighbouring countries was disadvantaged, in the eyes of various analysts, because of poor infrastructure, inadequate stadiums and training facilities, and inexperience in hosting major continental soccer events.
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Yet here we are; the East Africa 2027 Pamoja bid was successful and plans are already underway across the three countries to prepare the first three-country Africa Cup of Nations ever.
But it is unlikely that the bid would have triumphed without the involvement of the indefatigable Speaker of the Parliament, Rt Hon Anita Annet Among Magogo.
The Bukedea Woman MP may not have featured prominently in the images that transpired during the bidding process, but behind the stage, she was the one who put in tireless shifts to convince the CAF Executive that East Africa’s time was nigh.
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It all started with the visit of the CAF President Patrice Motsepe in July last year. The South African engaged in a series of meetings with the Speaker before engaging President Museveni at State House.
The President then confirmed to Motsepe that he would guarantee the backing of the Ugandan government to a bid that involved Kenya and Tanzania, for it would go a long way in fostering regional integration.
It helped a great deal that, at the time, Among’s husband Moses Magogo, the Fufa President, was still a CAF Executive Committee member. ,
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06:58 - 02.10.2023
FOOTBALL PAMOJA BID: Why it is important for East Africa to Embrace AFCON 2027
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is set to be a pivotal event for East Africa, with Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania serving as proud hosts.
He understood the internal systems of the body that governs African football and right away embarked on putting together a bidding document together with Kenya and Tanzania.
The Minister of State for Sports Hon Peter Ogwang, the NCS General Secretary Dr Bernard Patrick Ogwel, and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa would then string a series of meetings in liaison with their colleagues in Kenya and Tanzania to put forward a compelling argument for East Africa.
Among provided the necessary funding for various lobbying engagements, but in some other instances directly engaged the key stakeholders tasked with deciding the destiny of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations hosting rights.
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Last Sunday, FUFA President Moses Magogo made a tweet acknowledging the Speaker’s pivotal role in delivering the Pamoja bid.
“In a special way, I want to thank the Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Anita Among for the contribution. Things look easy because we won AFCON 2027, but behind the scenes, there was a lot of work.”
In the aftermath of the bid in Cairo, Motsepe told Magogo that the success of Pamoja was owed to his wife.
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08:56 - 29.09.2023
FOOTBALL "PAMOJA Bid Victory": Inside Tayebwa’s UGX100B pledge, East Africa’s strategic moves for AFCON 2027
During a detailed segment on his Thursday night football show, ‘Tutegere Omupiira,’ FUFA President Moses Magogo recounted the inception and execution of this pivotal idea.
“You shouldn’t thank anyone else but your wife; she has been most central to this,” the CAF boss told the FUFA President. “Without her, the Pamoja Bid was not going to succeed,” he reiterated.
The next two years are now going to be critical in determining whether East Africa can execute the mandate that CAF gave them last week.
There were various promises in the bidding document that all three governments committed themselves to, and the hard work has started in earnest.
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In Tanzania, President Samia Suluhu has already directed the construction of two new stadiums in Arusha and Dodoma.
In Uganda, Among will be very crucial in shaping the preparation of Uganda ahead of 2027. As Speaker of Parliament, she will be fundamental in ensuring that the various infrastructure projects are built in time and to the approval of CAF officials who will be conducting routine visits to assess the readiness of East Africa in four years' time.
It ought to be noted that the Speaker has become a big football enthusiast after marrying Magogo, and has frequently engaged CAF bigshots including the former head of the continental body Ahmad Ahmad, and Motsepe now.
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