Uganda To Face Libya in AFCON Qualifier in Hoima

Football fans and residents of the Bunyoro sub-region are expressing excitement as Hoima City Stadium prepares to host its first-ever international football match, with the Uganda Cranes facing Libya in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture. The match is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m., marking a significant moment for football in the region and another milestone in Uganda’s preparations to co-host the 2027 AFCON tournament alongside Kenya and Tanzania. Both the Uganda Cranes and the Libyan national team arrived Sunday at Kabalega International Airport in Hoima District ahead of the highly anticipated encounter. Although Uganda has already secured automatic qualification for the 2027 AFCON as a host nation, the Cranes are participating in the qualifiers to maintain competitive readiness ahead of the tournament. For football enthusiasts in Bunyoro, the fixture represents more than a qualifying match. Geofrey Tumwesige, a resident of Hoima City, said the match is writing a new chapter in the region’s football history, describing it as a landmark moment that gives residents an opportunity to watch the national team compete on home soil. Joseph Kirumira said he is excited to see the first international match played at Hoima City Stadium, calling the occasion one residents should not miss. Michael Akugizibwe said the fixture presents a golden opportunity for Bunyoro to host an international football spectacle. He called on residents to turn out in large numbers and support the Uganda Cranes, whom he described as the home team for the occasion. Another football fan, Rogers Ahumuza, said Ugandans should embrace the historic occasion. He applauded the Federation of Uganda Football Associations for selecting Hoima City Stadium as the venue for the long-awaited fixture. The match is also being seen as an important step in the decentralization of national-team football in Uganda. It is the first competitive international fixture involving the Uganda Cranes to be played outside the Kampala metropolitan area, apart from matches played under the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations competitions. Hoima City Stadium was constructed by SUMMA as part of Uganda’s preparations to host the continental tournament. The 20,000-seat multi-purpose stadium is located on 34 acres of land in Kyarwiru Cell, Hoima East Division, and is among the venues selected to host matches during AFCON 2027. Construction of the stadium reportedly cost $129 million and was fully financed through Uganda’s Petroleum Fund, supported by revenues from the country’s oil and gas resources. Designed to meet international football standards set by FIFA and CAF, the facility is equipped to host major sporting and continental events, potentially bringing players, officials, media and thousands of fans to the Bunyoro region. The stadium features VVIP sections, an indoor arena, a swimming pool, modern changing rooms with gyms, volleyball and basketball courts, media conference halls, a hybrid football pitch, a Video Assistant Referee room, FIFA and CAF offices, referee rooms, training grounds, a media gallery and parking space for nearly 1,000 vehicles, among other facilities. The Uganda-Libya encounter offers an early test of the facility’s ability to host international football while giving fans in Bunyoro a chance to experience the national team on their doorstep.