Omanghana
Four Southern African countries have officially launched a joint campaign to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations, presenting a unified regional proposal aimed at bringing Africa’s premier football tournament back to the southern part of the continent.
The bid was confirmed by Tariq Babitseng, the newly elected president of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), who announced that the complete bid dossier has already been submitted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The multi-country proposal brings together South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe under a shared hosting framework designed to distribute infrastructure demands, tourism benefits, and tournament revenues across the Southern African region.
South Africa is expected to serve as the anchor nation of the project, leveraging the extensive world-class stadium infrastructure developed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010. The country also brings significant experience after previously hosting AFCON in 1996 and 2013.
Botswana, which initially partnered with South Africa during the early stages of the bid process, aims to use the tournament as a catalyst to accelerate sports infrastructure upgrades and broader economic development.
Namibia’s inclusion expands regional transport corridors and tourism opportunities while strengthening cross-border cooperation among the participating nations.
Zimbabwe, added to the final coalition framework, is expected to share operational responsibilities while benefiting from expanded tourism, infrastructure investment, and continental visibility.
The four football federations have reportedly established joint coordination systems to manage transportation logistics, security operations, stadium readiness, and fan mobility throughout the tournament.
Under the proposed structure, group-stage matches would be distributed across all four countries to maximize fan engagement, ticket sales, and regional participation.
However, South Africa is expected to host the majority of the knockout-stage fixtures, including the tournament final, utilizing its larger stadiums and advanced sporting infrastructure to reduce logistical risks for high-profile matches.
Officials say the collaborative model mirrors the region’s growing experience with multinational sporting events. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia are already preparing to jointly host the 2027 Cricket World Cup 2027.
The Southern African bid aligns closely with CAF’s evolving strategy to encourage shared hosting responsibilities and strengthen regional cooperation among member associations.
The 2027 AFCON tournament has already been awarded to a joint East African bid involving Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, marking the first time the competition will be staged across three countries.
The 2028 edition is also expected to mark a historic scheduling transition for the continental competition.
CAF plans to officially move AFCON from its traditional biennial format to a quadrennial cycle, meaning the tournament will now be played every four years instead of every two years.
Football analysts believe the change is intended to improve tournament quality, reduce calendar congestion, enhance commercial value, and align African football more closely with global international competition schedules.
If successful, the Southern African bid would return AFCON to the region for the first time since South Africa hosted the tournament in 2013.
Source: Omanghana
