East African Community Afcon win is a great leap forward for our countries

It is undoubtedly good news for the continent that the East African Community will host the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament  in 2027.  According to historical records, Sudan hosted the cup twice in 1957 and 1970. In 1962, 1968, and 1976, Ethiopia served as a host, successively. 

Whereas several commentators have taken centre stage on various forums such as social media platforms to praise and criticize the decision on political grounds, what suffices is that this lifetime achievement presents a historical economic milestone in the East African Community (EAC).

One of the world’s rarest flora, fauna, and animal species can be found in the East African Community. The Kenyan Rift Valley, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Rwenzori in Uganda, and other stunning landscapes that might be compared to the Garden of Eden are added to this. In terms of the advantages of unity, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda’s united victory is significant and symbolic. Additionally, this victory will lead to significant investments in local sports industries, which will provide chances for employment throughout the EAC.

With 77 percent of its people under 25, Uganda is the youngest population in the entire globe. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics reported that there are 7,310,386 youth in Uganda between the ages of 15 and 24.  This creates a significant difficulty in terms of youth unemployment but also a fantastic opportunity when jobs are available.

With Afcon, the EAC, and Uganda in particular, can be guaranteed to benefit greatly in terms of direct investments, job possibilities, and significant foreign exchange gains. This suggests that if African nations can work together in the future, their chances of hosting the World Cup may be stronger. Our economies and the Pan-Africanist spirit would both benefit from this. With a monopoly on the hosting rights, Europe, Asia, and the Americas have developed their football infrastructure.

The direct and indirect benefits would be enormous, even if more than six nations applied to host such huge events.  To win and keep the Afcon in our EAC, which is currently one of the most integrated blocks on the continent, I would like to wish the best of success to the Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Ugandan teams.

 In a similar vein, I would like to encourage all EAC residents to make use of this opportunity to showcase the best aspects of our heritage and culture to potential tourists. 
Our talented youthful footballers also have an open chance to be scouted by international teams to complement our EAC outstanding Athletes and other sportsmen on a global level. 

Given that there is currently no historical evidence to support the existence of the oldest human remains world over other than the 1959 Louis discovery by an English-born archaeologist Dr Leakey in East Africa then, may the EAC continue to dominate the world as the birthplace of humanity and an epicenter for human happiness.

Mr Ahumuza JohnMary Vianney, PhD Candidate, University of Ghana, Legon.