AFCON 2028: Ethiopia Launches Bid Amid Stadium Infrastructure Concerns, As Alliance of Sahel States Plans to Host the 2032 Event
Ethiopia has officially submitted its bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
If the Confederation of African Football (CAF) approves the bid, the tournament will return to the country for the first time in over 50 years.
Ethiopia last hosted the prestigious event in 1976, following earlier stints in 1962 and 1968.
The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) told the BBC that the nation has “full readiness to host Africa’s biggest footballing event.”
However, severe infrastructure gaps present a massive roadblock.
The Infrastructure Hurdle
Ethiopia faces an uphill battle to ready its infrastructure with only two years left before the tournament. Currently, the country possesses only one CAF-certified stadium.
Ethiopia had to play its 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Rwanda and Morocco due to substandard venues and regional security concerns.
Signs of Progress
A new, massive international sports complex is nearing completion in the capital city of Addis Ababa.
To be approved to host the AFCON, Ethiopia must drastically scale up its sports infrastructure. CAF regulations demand that a host nation provide a minimum of six stadiums matching specific capacities: Two elite venues of minimum capacity of 40,000 spectators and another two midsized venues that can accommodate between 20,000 and 25,000 spectators, as well as two other standard venues of between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators.
Future AFCON Events
CAF is two years away from implementing new dramatic changes to the AFCON.
Historically, the AFCON is a biennial event, but from 2028, it will change from a two-year cycle to hold every four years.
The 2027 AFCON edition, just months away, will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. CAF officials are expected to arrive in Nairobi on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, for facility inspections.
The bids for the 2028 AFCON editions are already on, with Ethiopia among the new entrants.
For the 2032 AFCON, the three breakaway countries from the ECOWAS regional bloc, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are consolidating their alliance beyond the Sahel—to sports—after submitting a joint interest to host the event.
