Four COSAFA FAs bid for 2028 AFCON

Four Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) member associations are vying for the hosting of the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.

Newly elected COSAFA president Tariq Babitseng confirmed the development to Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald newspaper in Harare at the weekend.

He said Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia presented a joint bid for the continental football showpiece during the specified window. The four countries share borders.

“I can confirm that Southern African region, predominantly, Botswana Football Association, South African Football Association, Namibian Football Association, and Zimbabwe Football Association, have put a joint bid at the time when they opened it up, and we managed to submit it on time for us to host the tournament in Southern Africa,” Babitseng said on the sidelines of the COSAFA congress in Harare.

Why South Africa and company are vying for AFCON

The Botswana Football Association leader said they believe in joining forces to host AFCON as a catalyst for football development in Southern Africa.

“This was also because when we were in Rabat, the president of CAF encouraged the zones to make sure that we hold competitions,” he said.

The COSAFA boss said their plan is to have Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia host group-stage games with South Africa hosting the big chunk of the matches.

After the 2027 edition of AFCON which Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will host, the next edition will take place in 2028 as a transition before switching from every two years to every four years.

The tournament has taken place every two years since 1968, with a one-year gap between the 2012 and 2013 editions.

AFCON hosting record in Southern Africa – COSAFA

South Africa is the only COSAFA member country to have hosted the AFCON finals at the senior men’s level in 1996 and successfully won it.

Zambia hosted the under-20 version of AFCON in 2017 and made the most of the home ground advantage to lift the ultimate trophy.

The tournament produced stars such as Patson Daka, Fashion Sakala and Enock Mwepu.