CAF AFCON 2028 bids received from Morocco, Ethiopia and South Africa-Botswana ahead of deadline as confederation plans historic reform
The Confederation of African Football on Thursday confirmed receipt of three official expressions of interest to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations from Morocco, Ethiopia and a joint South Africa and Botswana bid, ahead of the submission deadline.
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The CAF AFCON 2028 bids mark the start of a new chapter for the continental showpiece, which will be staged every four years under sweeping reforms approved by CAF.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe announced the shift during the just concluded tournament in Morocco.
Patrice Motsepe said the restructuring aims to ease pressure on an increasingly congested global football calendar.
The reform will also introduce an annual African Nations League competition from 2029, modelled after the UEFA Nations League.
Morocco hosted the most recent edition between December 2025 and January 2026, earning widespread praise for setting a powerful new infrastructural benchmark for the tournament.
Ethiopia, one of four participants at the inaugural AFCON in 1957, has hosted the competition three times.
Ethiopia staged the finals in 1962, winning its only continental title, and again in 1968 and 1976.
South Africa hosted the tournament in 1996 and 2013. Botswana, its proposed co-host for 2028, has never staged the competition.
Before AFCON 2028, the final biennial edition will take place in 2027 across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
CAF is scheduled to hold an executive committee meeting on Friday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The meeting will review preparations for the 2027 finals, while a decision on the host nation or nations for the 2028 edition is expected.
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The CAF AFCON 2028 bids underline intense competition for hosting rights as African football enters what officials describe as a transformative era.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
