Ethiopia submits bid to host 2028 Africa Cup of Nations

Ethiopia has officially submitted a bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), with the country’s football federation saying the government-backed proposal demonstrates its readiness to stage Africa’s biggest football tournament.

The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) said the bid affirms “the nation’s full readiness to host Africa’s biggest footballing event”.

Ethiopia has hosted the Afcon three times, in 1962, 1968 and 1976, but its football infrastructure currently lags behind that of several other countries on the continent.

The country had only one stadium approved by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for use last season. However, it is currently preparing to inaugurate a new international stadium and sports complex in the capital, Addis Ababa.

The new venue could provide one of the locations for the tournament, although questions remain over whether Ethiopia has enough CAF-compliant stadiums to host a 24-team Afcon across multiple venues.

Several existing regional facilities are understood not to meet FIFA or CAF standards in terms of infrastructure, facilities and overall match-day requirements.

Ethiopia was forced to play its home qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at neutral venues in Morocco and Rwanda, although it hosted matches in Dire Dawa earlier this year.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe said last month that the organisation had received “exciting bids” for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of the Afcon.

The tournament is expected to move to a four-year cycle after the 2028 edition.

Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe announced a joint Southern African bid for the 2028 tournament earlier this year.

Despite reports that Morocco, hosts of the 2025 edition, could stage the tournament again in 2028, BBC Sport Africa understands that the North African country is not in the running and is instead focused on preparations to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Meanwhile, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, all governed by military administrations, have expressed interest in jointly hosting the 2032 Afcon.

The 2027 Afcon is scheduled to take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July next year, with the tournament returning to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted it in 1976.

Ethiopia won the Afcon title on home soil in 1962, but the Walia Ibex have qualified for the tournament only three times since their last hosting appearance.

Their most recent participation came at the 2021 edition, where they finished bottom of their group without a win against Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde.

Ethiopia defeated São Tomé and Príncipe in the preliminary round of qualifiers for next year’s Afcon and have been drawn alongside Senegal, Mozambique and Sudan in Group J.