Ethiopia Enters Bid For AFCON 2028 Race, Apparently Deciding That Football Should Come Home With a Government Guarantee

Ethiopia has formally entered the Bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations, submitting a government-backed bid to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as the country seeks to bring the continent’s biggest football show back to its soil. The Ethiopian Football Federation says its proposal demonstrates the nation’s readiness to stage the tournament for the fourth time.

The move is significant because Ethiopia has a long relationship with AFCON. The country hosted the competition in 1962, 1968 and 1976, winning its only AFCON title in 1962. Now, more than five decades after its last hosting, Ethiopia appears ready to tell CAF: “We have done this before — just give us the ball and the deadline.”

Ethiopia Wants AFCON Back — And This Time It Is Bringing the Government Along

The Ethiopian Football Federation’s proposal has received strong backing from the federal government, with reports indicating that the bid carries a sovereign guarantee. That level of official commitment is designed to demonstrate that Addis Ababa is serious about meeting CAF’s financial, infrastructural and organisational requirements.

The timing is also interesting. CAF has opened bidding for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions after moving AFCON back to a four-year cycle. The 2027 tournament will meanwhile be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, making Ethiopia’s proposal a potential attempt to keep the continental football spotlight in East Africa for another edition.

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The Big Question: Can Ethiopia Get the Stadiums Ready Before CAF Gets Nervous?

Here comes the part that could turn Ethiopia’s ambitious football dream into an Olympic-level exercise in deadline management: infrastructure. Recent reports have highlighted the country’s stadium challenges, including the prolonged construction of the Adey Abeba Stadium in Addis Ababa, while Bahir Dar Stadium has reportedly obtained CAF Category 3 status but would require further work for an AFCON-level tournament.

There are other concerns beyond football pitches and floodlights. Ethiopia’s bid faces scrutiny over security challenges, particularly insurgencies affecting Amhara and Oromia and concerns about possible renewed conflict in Tigray. In other words, CAF will not merely be asking whether Ethiopia can produce 90 minutes of football; it will be asking whether the country can safely and efficiently host an entire continental spectacle.

For Ethiopia, however, the bid represents more than a football tournament. It is a chance to revive a historic connection with AFCON, showcase Addis Ababa and accelerate sports infrastructure. Whether CAF sees a ready-made host or a very ambitious construction timetable remains the suspense. OGM News NG will continue to watch the bidding process as Ethiopia attempts to turn its government-backed proposal into an AFCON homecoming.