The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially opened the bidding process for the hosting rights of the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), inviting its Member Associations to express interest in staging Africa’s biggest football tournament.
According to CAF, interested national football associations have until August 29, 2026, to submit their declaration of interest. The continental football governing body will then provide the bidding documentation to interested associations before the evaluation process begins.
Among the countries already emerging as potential hosts are Ethiopia, Morocco, and a joint bid by Botswana and South Africa, according to reports.
The bidding process forms part of CAF’s efforts to ensure a transparent and competitive selection of the host nation for the 2028 tournament.
CAF INSPECTION
CAF is expected to carry out inspection visits to candidate countries to assess the readiness of stadiums, training facilities, transport infrastructure, accommodation, security arrangements and other requirements before a final decision is made.
Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, is viewed as one of the strongest potential candidates due to its modern football infrastructure and recent experience in hosting major continental competitions.
Ethiopia, one of African football’s historic nations, is also seeking to return as an AFCON host after staging the tournament in 1976. Meanwhile, Botswana and South Africa are reportedly exploring a joint bid that would combine South Africa’s established sporting infrastructure with Botswana’s growing investment in football development.
CAF has not yet announced when the Executive Committee will vote to determine the successful host nation.
The 2028 edition will continue the tradition of bringing together the continent’s top national teams to compete for African football’s biggest prize, with the successful host expected to be confirmed after CAF concludes its evaluation of all submitted bids.
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