The Confederation of African Football (CAF) says it has received “several quality bids” to host the 2028, 2032 and 2036 Africa Cup of Nations, as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formally enter a joint candidacy despite serious security concerns in the Sahel.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday in Johannesburg, South Africa, CAF president Patrice Motsepe outlined the state of play for the next three editions of the continent’s flagship tournament, while declining to reveal the full list of bidding nations.
Multiple bids in, details still under wraps
CAF confirmed that the call for hosting applications for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 tournaments is now well under way and attracting strong interest across the continent.
In a statement, the governing body said:
« La CAF a officiellement ouvert l’appel a candidatures pour les associations membres souhaitant accueillir les editions 2028, 2032 et 2036 de la TotalEnergies CAF Coupe d’Afrique des Nations. Le processus se deroule dans d’excellentes conditions et plusieurs dossiers de qualite ont deja ete deposes. Des annonces officielles seront faites en temps opportun. »
CAF did not provide a breakdown of which federations have formally submitted files, nor did it confirm Libya’s reported bid for the 2028 edition.
Libya’s football federation president, Abdolmola El Mograbi, has publicly said his country is positioning itself for 2028, but CAF stopped short of validating that claim on Wednesday.
Sahel alliance enters the race
Alongside the general update, Motsepe singled out one high-profile expression of interest: a joint bid from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, presented under the banner of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The three landlocked West African nations have each faced political instability and jihadist violence in recent years, raising questions about their ability to host a major international tournament.
Motsepe, however, insisted that the Sahel trio will be judged on the same criteria as any other candidate.
He said the three AES members have « autant de chances que les autres » – “as many chances as the others” – of being chosen as hosts, despite what he acknowledged is a “preoccupying” security landscape in the region.
Big names yet to clarify their intentions
While CAF has confirmed the receipt of “several” bids, the picture remains unclear for a number of heavyweight football nations.
For the 2032 edition in particular, it is not yet known whether Senegal will decide to formally enter the race. The 2022 Africa Cup of Nations champions, who have invested heavily in infrastructure in recent years, have long been seen as a potential host.
Similarly, there is no confirmation so far on whether Egypt – a frequent organizer of CAF competitions and host of the 2019 AFCON – has converted its interest into a concrete bid.
Questions also remain over a possible joint candidacy from Botswana and South Africa for 2028, an idea previously floated by both federations, as well as over whether Ethiopia has moved beyond the stage of declared interest.
Decisions to follow “in due course”
CAF has not yet provided a timeline for when the hosts for 2028, 2032 and 2036 will be formally announced, beyond promising that decisions will be made public at the appropriate moment.
“Des annonces officielles seront faites en temps opportun,” the organisation stressed in its statement.
The race to stage Africa’s showpiece tournament is expected to intensify in the coming months, as interested federations finalise their technical files, stadium plans and government guarantees.
With several bids already on the table and others still being prepared, CAF’s executive body faces a complex choice that will shape the future of African football across the next decade.
