Ethiopia Submits AFCON 2028 Bid, Reviving Push to Bring Continental Showpiece Home

Addis Ababa, August 24, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia has submitted its bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) announced Monday, advancing the country’s longstanding ambition to bring Africa’s premier national-team football tournament back to Ethiopia.

In a statement announced on its social media pages today, the EFF said it had submitted the required bid documentation to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The submission comes as CAF conducts its current hosting process for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.

CAF has established a bidding framework for assessing prospective hosts, with the 2027 edition already scheduled to be staged jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Ethiopia’s current bid follows an earlier high-level push to secure hosting rights for AFCON.

During the 46th Ordinary General Assembly of CAF in Addis Ababa on October 22, 2024, President Taye Atske-Selassie called on CAF to endorse Ethiopia’s bid to host the 2029 edition, which was the edition Ethiopia was then pursuing.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also expressed Ethiopia’s strong interest in hosting AFCON during events surrounding the CAF General Assembly in Addis Ababa in October 2024.

Ethiopian leaders at the time highlighted investments in sports infrastructure, including the construction of new stadiums and renovation of existing facilities, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s capacity to host major continental competitions.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe subsequently welcomed Ethiopia’s interest in hosting the tournament and expressed support for the country’s ambition.

The earlier 2029 pursuit came before CAF’s subsequent restructuring of the AFCON cycle. With the continental championship now moving to a four-year cycle from 2028, Ethiopia’s current hosting bid is for the 2028 edition, within CAF’s newly established bidding process for 2028, 2032 and 2036.

Ethiopia has a distinguished place in AFCON history, having hosted the continental championship in 1962, 1968 and 1976. The country also won its only AFCON title in 1962, when Ethiopia hosted and triumphed in the tournament’s third edition.

A successful bid would bring the continent’s flagship national-team competition back to Ethiopia after five decades, while providing an opportunity to showcase the country’s football heritage, sporting infrastructure and growing capacity to host major international events.

The latest submission marks a new stage in Ethiopia’s sustained effort to reclaim its place as a host of major African football competitions and reconnect its historic contribution to the continent’s game with the next generation of African football.