Ethiopia submits formal bid to host AFCON 2028

Ethiopia has officially entered the race to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations, submitting its bid to CAF more than fifty years after last staging the tournament. The Ethiopian Football Federation confirmed the proposal on X, highlighting the nation’s readiness to welcome Africa’s biggest football event. Ethiopia, home to around 130 million people and the African Union headquarters, would offer the continent’s highest‑altitude capital at 2,300 metres.

However, the bid faces significant obstacles, including ongoing insurgencies in Amhara and Oromia and fears of renewed conflict with the Tigray region. Ethiopia’s national team, ranked 143rd by FIFA, last appeared at AFCON in 2022, exiting in the group stage. Morocco hosted the most recent edition, while the 2027 tournament will be co‑staged by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. From 2028, AFCON will shift to a four‑year cycle. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have also expressed interest in jointly hosting the 2032 event.