South Africa, Lesotho and Zimbabwe are exploring a joint bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), as interest grows in staging the continent’s flagship tournament under its expanded 28-team format.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially opened the bidding process on 3 July, inviting member associations to submit proposals for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of the tournament.
According to reports, the South African Football Association is seriously considering a bid for the 2028 competition. While an earlier proposal involved neighbouring Botswana, plans have reportedly shifted towards a three-nation partnership with Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The move reflects the increased logistical demands of hosting an expanded AFCON, with more venues and infrastructure required to accommodate the larger field of participating nations.
South Africa brings experience
South Africa has previously hosted the Africa Cup of Nations twice, staging the tournament in 1996 and again in 2013.
Lesotho, however, has never hosted the continental showpiece, while Zimbabwe was originally awarded the 2000 edition before CAF withdrew the hosting rights, with the tournament eventually being staged jointly by Ghana and Nigeria.
A successful bid would therefore mark a first AFCON hosting experience for both Lesotho and Zimbabwe, while giving Southern Africa its biggest collaborative football event to date.
Competition for hosting rights
The proposed Southern African bid is expected to face competition from other countries across the continent.
Egypt and Ethiopia have both been linked with possible bids for the 2028 tournament, although it remains unclear whether either federation has formally submitted its application.
CAF has confirmed that several strong bids have already been received but has not disclosed the identities of the candidate nations.
Focus also turns to future tournaments
Interest is also building for future editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has already confirmed that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have expressed interest in jointly hosting the 2032 tournament, while Senegal has also been mentioned as a potential future bidder.
The growing number of regional partnerships reflects CAF’s encouragement of collaborative hosting models as the competition continues to expand.
Should South Africa, Lesotho and Zimbabwe proceed with their proposal, the three nations would seek to bring the Africa Cup of Nations back to Southern Africa for the first time since South Africa hosted the tournament in 2013, while creating a historic first for their regional alliance.
