Botswana withdraws from South Africa and Zimbabwe’s 2028 AFCON bid

Botswana has withdrawn from a joint bid with South Africa and Zimbabwe to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), according to Botswana newspaper Mmegi.

The decision leaves South Africa and Zimbabwe to continue the bidding process with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Botswana’s withdrawal follows the government’s decision not to provide the financial guarantee required to support its involvement in the bid. The government cited financial constraints and said hosting the continental tournament was not currently among its priorities.

As a result, Botswana did not submit the required bidding documents before the 14 September deadline, while South Africa and Zimbabwe proceeded with their submissions.

The original three-nation proposal included matches in Gaborone and Francistown. Francistown’s existing stadium infrastructure was expected to be used while renovation work was carried out at the National Stadium in Gaborone.

The proposed arrangement was also designed to minimise travel costs between the host venues.

The Botswana Football Association had previously maintained that a financial guarantee was not required at the initial stage of the bidding process. However, the government’s decision ultimately ended the country’s participation in the joint proposal.

Botswana had also expressed an interest in hosting the 2027 AFCON, but CAF awarded the tournament to the joint bid from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

With Botswana now out of the 2028 bidding process, South Africa and Zimbabwe will continue with their joint proposal.

CAF will make the final decision on which country or joint bid is awarded the hosting rights for the 2028 tournament, with further details on the remaining bids and the next stages of the process expected from the continental governing body.