Number of Southern African countries in AFCON 2028 co-hosting bid revealed
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 19.05.26. | 11:18
The bid brings together the Botswana Football Association, South African Football Association, Namibia Football Association and Zimbabwe Football Association
Four Southern African football associations have formally submitted a joint bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), in a coordinated effort aimed at bringing the tournament back to the region for the first time in over a decade.
The bid brings together the Botswana Football Association, South African Football Association, Namibia Football Association and Zimbabwe Football Association, as confirmed by newly elected COSAFA President Tariq Babitseng.
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Babitseng revealed that the proposal was submitted within the required timeframe and represents a unified regional strategy to secure hosting rights for Africa’s flagship football competition.
“I can confirm that Southern African region, predominantly, Botswana Football Association, South African Football Association, Namibian Football Association, and Zimbabwe Football Association, have put a joint bid at the time when they opened it up, and we managed to submit it on time for us to host the tournament in Southern Africa,” Babitseng said.
He explained that the bid is rooted in a shared-hosting arrangement, designed to distribute matches across the four countries if successful.
Under the proposed structure, South Africa would host the largest share of games, while Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia would each stage selected group-stage fixtures and potentially knockout matches.
“The intention is, for example, for Zimbabwe to host one or two groups, Botswana maybe one group and a semifinal, Namibia the same. That will be discussed if we get the tournament, but the largest chunk will be in South Africa,” he added.
The proposal also aligns with a wider Confederation of African Football (CAF) approach encouraging regional collaboration in staging major tournaments.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has previously urged football zones to jointly host competitions as part of a continental development strategy.
“This was also because when we were in Rabat, the president of CAF encouraged the zones to make sure that we hold competitions,” Babitseng noted.
He further pointed to the recent pattern of AFCON hosting across different regions of Africa as justification for Southern Africa’s bid, citing Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Morocco, and the upcoming 2027 edition in East Africa as evidence of rotational balance.
“So we have put in a bid for COSAFA to host so that all the regions can be covered,” he said.
The 2028 tournament is expected to carry added significance as it will likely be the final AFCON staged under the current two-year cycle before a planned switch to a four-year format, making the hosting race even more competitive.
Southern Africa last hosted AFCON when South Africa staged the tournament in 1996 and again in 2013, while Angola hosted in 2010.