CAF reopens bidding for 2028, 2031 and 2033 AFCON hosting rights

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially reopened the bidding process for the hosting rights of the 2028, 2031 and 2033 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments following its decision to return the competition to a two-year cycle.

The decision creates a fresh opportunity for countries across the continent to express interest in hosting the tournament, with all 54 CAF member associations eligible to submit bids, including those that did not participate in the previous process.

In a letter to its member associations, CAF confirmed that the 2028 edition would remain unchanged, while the previously proposed 2032 and 2036 tournaments have been replaced by the 2031 and 2033 editions, respectively.

The reopening of the process means countries that previously missed out on submitting applications will have another opportunity to enter the race for the hosting rights.

Associations that had already submitted a Declaration of Interest during the previous bidding process, however, will not be required to submit a new one.

CAF has set November 17, 2026, at 18:00 Cairo time as the deadline for submitting Declarations of Interest.

Member associations seeking clarification on the bidding requirements have until November 24, 2026, at 18:00 Cairo time to submit their requests, while completed hosting bids must be submitted by December 8, 2026, at 18:00 Cairo time.

The governing body has also confirmed that applications can be submitted by individual countries or through joint bids involving multiple nations.

Countries will also be allowed to express interest in hosting more than one edition of the tournament, potentially opening the door for associations with the necessary infrastructure and resources to pursue multiple hosting opportunities.

CAF stressed that all applications would be assessed through a fair and transparent process, adding that countries which participated in the previous bidding exercise would not enjoy any advantage over new applicants.

The decision to reopen the bidding process follows CAF’s move to restore the AFCON to its traditional two-year format, reversing the planned expansion of the interval between editions.

The exact dates for the 2028, 2031 and 2033 tournaments will be communicated at a later date.

The new bidding process is expected to attract interest from several African nations as the continent looks to secure hosting rights for three major editions of its flagship international football competition.