Ethiopia Submits Bid to Host AFCON 2028 Tournament

Ethiopia has formally submitted its bid to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2028, as confirmed by the Ethiopian Football Federation in a post shared on X on a late Monday. This would be Ethiopia's first time hosting the tournament since 1976.

The country, which has a population of approximately 130 million, is notable for being the second largest in Africa and for its capital, Addis Ababa, which serves as the headquarters of the African Union (AU) and is situated at the highest altitude of any African capital at 2,300 meters. However, the bid faces significant obstacles, including ongoing insurgencies in the populous states of Amhara and Oromia, as well as threats of renewed civil war involving the federal government and the northern Tigray region.

The Ethiopian national football team currently ranks 143rd out of 211 by FIFA and last participated in the AFCON tournament in 2022, where they were eliminated in the group stage. The biennial AFCON was last hosted by Morocco, with the next tournament scheduled to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Starting in 2028, the tournament will shift to a new schedule, occurring every four years.