CAF Opens Bidding For 2028, 2032, 2036 AFCONS

CAF Opens Bidding For 2028, 2032, 2036 AFCONS

Sampson Adedeji

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has opened discussions on the hosting rights for the 2028, 2032, and 2036 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), following recent adjustments to the tournament calendar, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

A high-ranking CAF source disclosed that the issue will be a key item on the agenda of the CAF Executive Committee meeting scheduled for mid-next month. 

The discussions come in the wake of changes to AFCON scheduling and the cancellation of bid processes for the 2029, 2031, 2033, and 2035 editions.

According to information from within CAF, members of the Executive Committee are backing a proposal to invite bids for three consecutive AFCON tournaments beginning with 2028 and extending through 2036 rather than selecting hosts on a single-edition basis.

Amid speculation that Morocco could be awarded a future edition, a prominent member of the CAF Executive Office shared his personal view, stressing the need for fairness in the geographical distribution of hosting rights. He argued that CAF should consider regions outside North and East Africa for upcoming tournaments.

The source noted that North Africa hosted AFCON 2019 in Egypt and will host the 2025 edition in Morocco, while East Africa is set to stage the 2027 tournament in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. West Africa, through Ivory Coast, and Central Africa, through Cameroon, hosted the 2021 and 2023 editions respectively.

Based on this rotation, the source suggested that Southern Africa deserves consideration to host the 2028 AFCON, provided national federations from the region submit formal bids.