Ending a 52 year drought: Ethiopia bids to bring Africa's biggest tournament back home

The Ethiopian Football Federation has officially submitted its candidacy to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON, hoping to end a historic 52 year hosting drought for the nation.

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A government-backed bid

The Ethiopian Football Federation took to the platform "X" to formally announce the submission of their bid dossier to CAF.

The federation emphasized that the initiative is fully backed by the federal government and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

According to their statement, the submitted bid "meets all requirements and reaffirms that the country is fully prepared to host the biggest football event in Africa"

Despite being the second most populous country on the continent with approximately 130 million people, Ethiopia has struggled on the pitch in recent years.

The national team currently sits at 143rd in the FIFA World Rankings, with their last AFCON appearance coming during the 2021 edition in Cameroon where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Ethiopia last hosted the tournament in 1976, an edition won by the Moroccan national team.

A new era for AFCON scheduling

The 2028 tournament will mark a monumental shift in African football logistics. Following the 2025 edition in Morocco and the upcoming 2027 tournament co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, AFCON will transition from a biennial event to a quadrennial cycle.

Starting in 2028, the tournament will be held every four years to better harmonize the African football calendar with other major global competitions organized by FIFA.

Looking even further ahead, the football federations of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have already expressed their shared desire to submit a joint bid to host the 2032 edition.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

Related teams and leagues

Ethiopia

AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations