Ethiopia Submits Official Bid To Host AFCON 2028

Ethiopia has submitted an official bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the country’s football federation (EFF) has announced.

The EFF said the government-backed proposal affirms the nation’s full readiness to host Africa’s biggest footballing event, positioning Ethiopia to join the shortlist of countries vying for hosting rights.

Ethiopia has previously staged the tournament three times, in 1962, 1968, and 1976, but its current footballing infrastructure lags well behind other nations on the continent.

The country had only one Confederation of African Football (CAF)-approved stadium in use last season, though it is in the process of inaugurating a new international stadium and sports complex in the capital, Addis Ababa.

While the Addis Ababa venue could serve as one location for the tournament, questions remain over whether Ethiopia has sufficient CAF-compliant venues to host a 24-team competition across multiple locations, as several existing regional facilities reportedly fall short of FIFA and CAF standards.

Ethiopia played its home qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at neutral venues in Morocco and Rwanda, though it did host matches in Dire Dawa earlier this year.

CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, disclosed last month that the organisation had received strong interest for the hosting rights of the 2028, 2032, and 2036 editions of the tournament, with AFCON set to shift to a four-year hosting cycle after 2028.

Ethiopia’s bid joins a growing list of contenders, including a joint Southern African bid from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, announced earlier this year.

Despite speculation that Morocco, host of the 2025 edition, could stage the tournament again, indications are that the kingdom is not in contention, as it shifts focus toward co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Separately, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, three nations currently under military governments, have also expressed interest in jointly hosting the 2032 edition.

The 2027 AFCON is scheduled to hold in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, marking the tournament’s return to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia last hosted in 1976.

Ethiopia won the AFCON title on home soil in 1962, but the Walia Ibex, currently ranked 143rd in the world and 43rd in Africa, have qualified for the tournament only three times since.

Their most recent appearance came at the 2021 edition, where they finished bottom of their group without a win, in a pool that included Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Cape Verde.

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

The EFF’s announcement has generated mixed reactions, with critics questioning whether the country possesses the capacity to host a tournament of this scale.

Ethiopia was among the three nations that competed at the inaugural AFCON in 1957, but currently only the 52,000-seat Bahir Dar Stadium in the north of the country holds CAF approval.

The 62,000-capacity Adey Abeba International Stadium in Addis Ababa is expected to be completed next year, while three other proposed stadiums remain at early stages of development and would require significant work to meet CAF requirements in time for 2028.

Beyond stadium infrastructure, successfully hosting the tournament would require adequate training facilities, gyms, accommodation, entertainment venues, as well as reliable urban transport and security systems.

Security remains a major concern surrounding Ethiopia’s bid. While the capital is considered relatively safe, several parts of the country continue to grapple with armed conflict, political unrest, and other security challenges – issues analysts say the country must urgently address if its 2028 AFCON bid is to be taken seriously.