Ethiopia has officially entered the race to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), seeking to bring the continent’s premier football tournament back to the country for the first time in more than five decades.
The Ethiopian Football Federation has formally submitted its hosting bid to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with Ethiopia last staging the tournament in 1976.
The bid comes as Ethiopia seeks to reclaim a place on the continental football stage. The country, Africa’s second-most populous nation with a population of about 130 million, is also home to Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the African Union.
However, Ethiopia’s bid faces significant challenges, particularly over security concerns. Ongoing insurgencies in the Amhara and Oromia regions, as well as fears of renewed conflict in Tigray, could pose obstacles to its hosting ambitions.
Ethiopia’s football record also presents another challenge. The national team is ranked 143rd in the world and last featured at the AFCON in 2022, when it was eliminated in the group stage.
Despite these concerns, the Ethiopian Football Federation insists the country is prepared to host Africa’s biggest football competition and is confident in its ability to meet CAF’s requirements.
With the AFCON set to move to a four-year cycle from 2028, Ethiopia is hoping to make a historic return as host and revive memories of the tournament it staged 52 years ago.
