Ethiopia Bids to Host 2028 Africa Cup of Nations — Back in the Game After 50 Years
Ethiopia has submitted an official bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations, aiming to bring the continent's flagship football tournament home for the first time in over half a century.
The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) formally presented its government-backed proposal to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), stating the bid affirms the nation's readiness to stage the 2028 finals (BBC Sport; EFF on X). It is a bold step for a country that last hosted the tournament in 1976.
Ethiopia is no stranger to staging Africa's biggest football event. The country hosted the Africa Cup of Nations three times — in 1962, 1968 and 1976 — and won the title on home soil in that first edition. But the modern picture is more complicated. Ethiopia had just one stadium approved for use by CAF in the previous season, according to BBC Sport. A new international stadium and sports complex is being inaugurated in the capital, Addis Ababa, which would bolster the country's case.
On the pitch, Ethiopia's national team has struggled to match its hosting pedigree. Ranked 143rd in the world and 43rd in Africa, Ethiopia has qualified for the tournament only three times since 1976. Their most recent appearance came at the 2021 edition, where they finished bottom of a group containing Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde without recording a win. They did beat Sao Tome and Principe in the preliminary round of qualifying for the 2027 tournament and were drawn alongside Senegal, Mozambique and Sudan in Group J of those qualifiers (BBC Sport).
Ethiopia is not alone in chasing the 2028 hosting rights. Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe have announced a joint Southern African bid for the same edition. Morocco, which hosts the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, is not in the running for 2028 — the North African nation is focusing on co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup instead. Further ahead, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have expressed interest in co-hosting the 2032 tournament (BBC Sport).
CAF president Patrice Motsepe said the confederation had received "exciting bids" for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions. The Africa Cup of Nations is also set to move to a four-year cycle after 2028, meaning the 2028 tournament could be the last held under the current biennial schedule — a biennial cycle being every two years (BBC Sport).
Before any of that, the 2027 edition is scheduled to take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July, with the three co-hosts automatically qualified (BBC Sport; CAF).
For Ethiopia, the bid is about more than football. It is a statement of intent from a nation whose proudest football memories were made on home soil — and which now wants to write the next chapter there.
