CAF reopens bidding process for AFCON 2028, 2031 and 2033 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 restore the competition to a two-year cycle.

In a letter communicated to its 54 member associations, CAF confirmed that the bidding process will cover three editions of the continent’s flagship football competition, giving countries another opportunity to express interest in hosting the tournaments.

Under the revised arrangements, AFCON 2028 will remain unchanged, while the editions previously scheduled for 2032 and 2036 have been replaced by AFCON 2031 and 2033 respectively.

CAF has invited all 54 member associations, including those that did not participate in the previous bidding process, to submit their applications.

Associations that have already submitted a Declaration of Interest will not be required to submit a fresh declaration.

The continental football governing body has set November 17, 2026, at 18:00 Cairo time as the deadline for submitting declarations of interest.

The deadline for associations seeking clarification on the bidding process is November 24, 2026, at 18:00 Cairo time, while completed hosting bids must be submitted by December 8, 2026, at 18:00 Cairo time.

CAF has also confirmed that member associations can submit individual or joint bids, with countries permitted to express interest in hosting more than one edition of the tournament.

The governing body stressed that all submissions will be assessed through a fair and transparent process, adding that previous participation in the bidding exercise will not give any association an advantage over other applicants.

The exact dates for the three tournaments will be communicated at a later stage.

The reopening of the bidding process follows CAF’s decision to return the Africa Cup of Nations to its traditional biennial format, reversing the earlier plan to stage the competition every four years after the 2028 edition.

The move provides African nations with a fresh opportunity to secure hosting rights for one of the continent’s biggest sporting events, with the December 8 deadline expected to bring the latest phase of the bidding exercise to a close.