Ethiopia bids to host 2028 AFCON

Ethiopia has formally expressed its intention to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2028, marking a return to the continent's premier football tournament after more than half a century. The Ethiopian Football Federation announced the bid on X, affirming the country's preparedness to host the event. This would be Ethiopia's first hosting of AFCON since the 1976 tournament.

Ethiopia boasts the second largest population in Africa, with approximately 130 million residents, and its capital city hosts the African Union headquarters. Situated at an impressive altitude of 2,300 meters, it is the highest capital city in Africa. However, the bid is not without challenges. Ongoing insurgencies in Ethiopia's two most populous regions, Amhara and Oromia, and the potential for a renewed civil war between the federal government and the northern Tigray region, pose significant obstacles.

Ethiopia's national football team currently holds a FIFA ranking of 143 out of 211, and they last participated in the AFCON in 2022, being eliminated in the group stage after their domestic bid to host the 2023 edition was unsuccessful. The Ethiopian bid was submitted to CAF, the governing body of African football. The last AFCON tournament was held in Morocco, while the upcoming 2024 event is co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The tournament's schedule is set to change, with future editions held every four years starting from 2028, aligning with other FIFA competitions. Unfortunately, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which are currently experiencing deadly violence from jihadist groups, have expressed their intention to co-host AFCON 2032, according to their respective football federations.