Ethiopia has officially entered the race to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), seeking to bring Africa’s biggest football tournament back to the country for the first time since 1976. The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) has submitted its bid to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the country’s first attempt in decades to host the continental championship. Ethiopia hosted the tournament in 1976, when the national team reached the final stage and finished third. The country has since struggled to maintain a consistent presence among Africa’s top football nations, with its most recent AFCON appearance coming in 2022.
The bid could give Ethiopia an opportunity to showcase Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the African Union, while bringing major international sporting activity and investment to the country. However, security remains a major concern. Ethiopia continues to face armed insurgencies and political tensions in parts of Amhara and Oromia, while the possibility of renewed instability in Tigray could complicate preparations for a tournament involving teams and supporters from across Africa. The country also faces challenges on the sporting side. Ethiopia is currently ranked well outside Africa’s leading football nations and has not qualified for the most recent AFCON tournaments.
The federation nevertheless says Ethiopia has the infrastructure, football tradition and organizational capacity required to stage the competition. The 2028 tournament will also be significant because AFCON is moving to a four-year cycle, following the 2027 edition. Ethiopia’s bid therefore represents an attempt to return the country to the center of African football more than half a century after it last hosted the competition. CAF will ultimately assess the competing bids based on factors including stadium infrastructure, accommodation, transport, security and organizational capacity before selecting the host.
