Egypt confirmed as host of 2028 U-23 AFCON

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee has confirmed that Egypt will host the next edition of the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, a tournament that will also determine Africa’s representatives at the 2028 Olympic Games football tournament.

The decision was reached during a meeting of the CAF Executive Committee on Thursday, with Egypt selected to stage the competition as preparations begin for the next cycle of Olympic football qualification.

The U-23 Africa Cup of Nations will take on added significance because of its role as the continent’s qualification tournament for the 2028 Olympic Games, which will be held in Los Angeles, United States.

The tournament is expected to bring together some of Africa’s most promising young players, with national teams competing for continental honours while also battling for qualification places at the Olympic Games.

Egypt has considerable experience hosting major CAF competitions and has previously staged editions of the U-23 AFCON. The country hosted the 2019 tournament, where the host nation won the title after defeating Côte d’Ivoire in the final.

The 2019 competition also served as Africa’s qualification tournament for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa securing qualification from the tournament.

The latest decision therefore gives Egypt another opportunity to stage a competition that serves both as a continental championship and a pathway to the Olympic Games.

For the participating countries, qualification for Los Angeles 2028 will provide an important incentive, particularly for young players seeking to establish themselves at international level. The U-23 AFCON has traditionally served as an important platform for emerging talent, with several players going on to feature prominently for their senior national teams and clubs in major leagues.

CAF is expected to announce further details regarding the dates, qualification process and tournament format in due course.

The confirmation of Egypt as host also means attention will now turn to the qualifying campaign across the continent, with national associations expected to begin preparations for the journey to the tournament.

The 2028 Olympic football tournament will be another major opportunity for African nations to compete on the global stage.

Africa has enjoyed notable success in Olympic men’s football, with Nigeria winning gold at Atlanta 1996 and Cameroon claiming the title at Sydney 2000.

With Egypt now confirmed as host, the next edition of the U-23 AFCON will provide the continent’s leading young footballers with a direct route to the Olympic stage while giving CAF another opportunity to showcase the depth of talent emerging across African football.