Barely has the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) concluded, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is already facing a major new challenge: organizing the 2028 AFCON, announced at the end of December without an officially designated host country. This situation raises concerns internally, as the requirements are demanding and time is running out.
On paper, several options seem viable to host this last edition before the competition shifts to a four-year cycle.
Few credible candidates
Egypt, with its experience and infrastructure, doesn’t seem too keen to play the “firefighters” again like in 2019. Algeria, strong both sportingly and structurally, has a long way to go politically. As for South Africa, often mentioned, it’s going through a tough economic period, and its genuine willingness to commit remains uncertain. Without South Africa, a regional project involving Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa would likely fail due to infrastructure disparities between the countries.
The Ethiopian option: an ambitious but uncertain bet
Among the official bids, Ethiopia stands out as an ambitious choice. The country is experiencing strong economic growth, building Africa’s largest airport, has 128 million football-loving inhabitants, and boasts about ten stadiums with over 15,000 seats. But the major issue remains: none of these stadiums are currently approved by CAF. The necessary work would be colossal, extremely costly, and likely unrealistic to complete in less than three years.
So, CAF faces a logistical and political puzzle: finding a country capable of meeting the challenge of AFCON 2028 without compromising the quality and safety of the competition.
Is Morocco cooling off?
Then there’s Morocco, a country where CAF has high hopes after the successful organization of AFCON 2025. But doubts are creeping in. The tumultuous final between Senegal and Morocco left its mark, and the chaotic end to the tournament tarnished the edition’s image, dampening Moroccan enthusiasm, according to investigative journalist Romain Molina.
“At the top, they say: ‘It’s for Morocco’ [the AFCON 2028, editor’s note]. But Lekjaa replied: ‘Why would we host it?’” Molina reports. “An AFCON brings in a lot of money for CAF, but for the host country, it costs a lot. There wasn’t real enthusiasm either. We thought: if we win in 2025, there will be political enthusiasm, and it will generate a lot for the country. But now, given what happened, it raises questions…”
The country, despite being the favorite on paper, might hesitate to bid, leaving CAF with an even more complex urgency.
Recent rumors about Morocco withdrawing from hosting the 2026 Women’s AFCON point in the same direction. Nothing guarantees that Rabat wants to jump back in for AFCON 2028. However, a second edition could serve as a trial run before a potential co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup. For now, the country seems more drawn to organizing the 2029 Club World Cup, according to French journalist Philippe Doucet.
What if CAF has to improvise…?
In the background, doubts persist about AFCON 2027, scheduled in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with projects progressing very slowly. Some even consider merging the 2027 and 2028 editions or simply shifting the competitions. This scenario echoes the major upheaval of 2019, when Cameroon was stripped of hosting rights in favor of Egypt, leading to the postponement of AFCON 2021 to 2023 in Ivory Coast.
CAF is thus faced with a logistical and political puzzle: finding a country capable of hosting AFCON 2028 while maintaining the credibility and safety of the competition.
