Guinea revives African football dream with bid for 2032 or 2036 Cup of Nations

Guinea has formally entered the race to host the Africa Cup of Nations in either 2032 or 2036, several years after being stripped of the right to stage the 2025 tournament.

The West African nation submitted its official application on Friday, 21 August, in a move the government is presenting as a national priority. Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah signed the request on behalf of President Mamadi Doumbouya.

Guinean authorities say hosting the tournament would help establish the country as one of Africa’s leading sporting destinations, raise the profile of its football and use sport as an international showcase.

The bid has gained fresh momentum after the Stade du 28-Septembre in Conakry was recently approved for use. The decision followed a lengthy period during which Guinea lacked a stadium meeting the required standards, forcing the national team to play many of its home matches abroad.

The Syli national have regularly used venues in Morocco for home fixtures in recent years because of the absence of an approved stadium in Guinea.

However, the approval of one venue is unlikely to be enough for the country to stage a modern Africa Cup of Nations. Guinea would need major investment in several stadiums, training grounds, transport networks, hotels and wider facilities for supporters, teams and officials.

The scale of the challenge is also significant because Guinea had previously been awarded the 2025 tournament before losing the hosting rights. The country must now turn its renewed interest into a credible and fully developed infrastructure plan.

Competition for the 2032 edition is already expected to be strong. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have jointly expressed interest in hosting the tournament under the banner of the Alliance of Sahel States.

Senegal has also been mentioned as a potential contender.

Guinea’s application therefore represents an ambitious attempt to restore the country’s place on the continental football stage. But after the difficulties surrounding its previous hosting plans, the bid will need to progress quickly from an official declaration to visible and concrete improvements.