By Nsereko Hamzah Kawuma
Hoima came alive on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, as thousands of football supporters converged on the Oil City for a landmark Uganda Cranes fixture at the newly constructed Hoima City Stadium.
The Uganda Cranes’ AFCON qualifier against Libya marked the national team’s first competitive international fixture outside Kampala and the first time the newly developed stadium hosted the national side in a competitive match.
From the eve of the fixture and throughout match day, Hoima took on the unmistakable colours and sounds of Ugandan football. Vehicles carrying supporters arrived from different parts of the country, with black, yellow and red flags flying from windows as chants of “Uganda Cranes Oyee” filled the streets.
For many supporters, the journey to Hoima was about more than watching a football match. It was an opportunity to witness a significant moment for the national team, experience one of Uganda’s newest sporting facilities and see the Cranes take international football closer to communities beyond the capital.
Hoima Dressed for Football
Hoima City Stadium provided an impressive setting for the occasion, with its modern infrastructure offering a fitting backdrop for the national team’s first competitive appearance in the city.
The excitement was evident well before kick-off. The strong demand for tickets reflected the enthusiasm generated by the arrival of the Cranes and the opportunity for supporters to watch the national team on home soil outside Kampala.
Around the stadium and across the city, supporters, traders and visitors contributed to a vibrant match-day atmosphere. Uganda Cranes flags, shirts, scarves and other merchandise were on display, turning Hoima into a sea of black, yellow and red.
Restaurants, food outlets, hotels, guesthouses and entertainment venues also experienced increased activity as visitors arrived from different parts of the country.
Beyond the Stadium
The fixture demonstrated the wider impact that major sporting events can have on host communities.
For local businesses, the influx of visitors created additional demand for accommodation, food, transport, merchandise and other services. For residents, it provided an opportunity to welcome visitors and showcase Hoima as an emerging destination capable of hosting major sporting events.
Supporters, meanwhile, experienced a day that combined football with travel, entertainment, music and community interaction.
The scenes across the city illustrated how football can extend beyond the 90 minutes played on the pitch, generating activity for businesses and creating opportunities for communities surrounding major sporting venues.
A Glimpse of Pamoja AFCON 2027
The Hoima fixture also provided an important early glimpse of the experience Uganda could deliver when it co-hosts the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2027 with Kenya and Tanzania under the Pamoja banner.
Hosting a successful continental tournament will require more than modern stadiums. It will depend on the coordinated delivery of transport, accommodation, hospitality, security, spectator services, information, health and other essential services.
The experience in Hoima offered valuable insights into the opportunities and demands associated with hosting major football fixtures.
The strong turnout demonstrated the appetite for the Cranes outside Kampala, while the activity across the city highlighted the potential economic benefits of taking major sporting events to different parts of the country.
At the same time, the high demand for tickets, accommodation and other services underlined the importance of early planning and effective coordination ahead of AFCON 2027 to ensure that supporters can travel, stay and enjoy the tournament in a safe, accessible and comfortable environment.
A Milestone for Hoima and Ugandan Football
The Uganda Cranes’ encounter with Libya was therefore more than another fixture on the international calendar. It represented an important milestone for Hoima and a significant step in taking Uganda’s national football team closer to supporters across the country.
As the final whistle brought the match to an end, the energy generated throughout the day continued across the city, with supporters, businesses and residents reflecting on an occasion that brought international football to Hoima.
For a day, Hoima stood at the centre of Uganda’s football story — its streets filled with colour and music, its stadium packed with passionate supporters and its businesses benefiting from the influx of visitors.
The occasion demonstrated the power of football to bring communities together, stimulate local economic activity and showcase the capacity of Ugandan cities to host major sporting events.
With AFCON 2027 on the horizon, Hoima’s successful hosting of the Cranes provided an encouraging experience — and a valuable opportunity to learn, improve and build towards the continental tournament that Uganda will co-host with Kenya and Tanzania.
