Ethiopia submits bid to host 2028 AFCON

Ethiopia has submitted an official bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the country’s football federation saying its government-backed proposal demonstrates “the nation’s full readiness to host Africa’s biggest footballing event”.

The bid comes despite concerns over Ethiopia’s existing football infrastructure and whether the country can provide enough facilities that meet Confederation of African Football (CAF) standards for a 24-team tournament.

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

Ethiopia had only one stadium approved by CAF for use last season, the 52,000-capacity Bahir Dar Stadium.

The country is also preparing to inaugurate the 62,000-capacity Adey Abeba International Stadium in Addis Ababa, which is expected to be completed next year.

The new stadium could provide one of the venues for the tournament, but Ethiopia would need additional compliant facilities to stage matches across multiple locations.

Three other proposed stadiums are at earlier stages of development and would require significant work to meet CAF requirements before 2028.

Several existing regional facilities are also understood not to meet FIFA or CAF standards covering infrastructure, facilities and match-day requirements.

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Hosting AFCON would require more than suitable stadiums. Ethiopia would also need adequate training facilities, gyms, accommodation and entertainment venues, alongside reliable urban transport and security infrastructure.

Security is another concern surrounding the bid. While Addis Ababa is comparatively safe, parts of Ethiopia continue to face armed conflict, political unrest and other security challenges.

Ethiopia’s national team also played 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 AFCON tournaments.

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

Morocco, which hosted the 2025 edition, has also been linked with a potential bid. However, BBC Sport Africa understands the country is not in the running and is instead focusing on preparations to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have expressed interest in co-hosting the 2032 edition.

The AFCON is set to move to a four-year cycle after the 2028 tournament.

Ethiopia won the AFCON title on home soil in 1962 but has qualified for the tournament only three times since its last hosting appearance in 1976.

The Walia Ibex’s most recent AFCON appearance came in 2021, when they finished bottom of a group containing Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde without a win.

Ethiopia defeated Sao Tome and Principe in the preliminary round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFCON and have been drawn alongside Senegal, Mozambique and Sudan in Group J.

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.