African countries are making bids to host AFCON tournaments for the coming years ahead. Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa have submitted a joint bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to mark a major push by the Southern African region to stage the continent’s biggest football tournament.
Botswana Football Association (BFA) President and Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) – President Tariq Babitseng confirms the bid and expressed confidence in the region’s ability to successfully organise the competition. Also, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are interested in hosting the AFCON in 2032. Whereas, Libya has submitted a bid to host the 2028 or 2032 AFCON.
President Babitseng stated that the three nations possess the infrastructure and organisational capacity that is needed to host the tournament while aligning with the vision of Confederation of African Football (CAF) – President Patrice Motsepe.
He said that they have put in a bid, and they are confident with the infrastructure they have designed, as well as the vision of CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, who believes all regions should have the opportunity to host AFCON. He added that as COSAFA, they feel that they stand a better chance to host.
Southern African region has not hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in recent years, with the tournament rotating among other parts of the continent. This joint bid is seen as a renewed effort by COSAFA to bring the competition back to the region while ensuring greater geographical balance in the hosting of Africa’s premier football championship.
Babitseng said that the proposal reflects CAF’s desire to give every region of the continent an opportunity to host the tournament. The joint proposal combines South Africa’s experience in staging major international competitions with the growing football infrastructure of Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Furthermore, CAF is expected to receive bids from several interested countries before selecting the host for the 2028 edition. The continental football body will evaluate proposals based on key criteria which will include stadium standards, training facilities, accommodation, transport infrastructure, security arrangements and overall readiness to stage the month-long tournament.
If selected, the South Africa-Botswana-Zimbabwe partnership would return AFCON to Southern Africa and will provide a significant boost for football development, investment and tourism across the three nations.