Guinea seeks Senegal partnership in bid to host 2032 Africa Cup of Nations

Four years after losing the right to stage the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations because of infrastructure delays, Guinea has made a fresh attempt to secure a place in the race for the 2032 tournament by proposing a joint bid with Senegal.

The Guinean Football Federation presented the idea to its Senegalese counterpart at the end of July. The proposal would allow the two neighbouring countries to combine their stadiums and transport networks as part of a shared hosting plan.

The suggested partnership is built around the geographical proximity of Guinea and Senegal. By pooling their facilities and logistical resources, the two federations hope to create a stronger case for staging one of African football’s biggest competitions.

However, the proposal has yet to receive formal approval from the Senegalese government. That means the potential bid remains at an early stage, with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) still to assess the plans before any decision can be made.

Senegal’s preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games are central to Guinea’s interest in a joint application. The event, scheduled for October, has already prompted Senegal to work on improving its sporting and logistical infrastructure.

Those developments could strengthen a 2032 Africa Cup of Nations bid by providing modern facilities and transport arrangements. Senegal would also be seeking a return to the continental tournament’s hosting calendar, having last staged the competition in 1992.

For Guinea, a shared candidacy would offer an opportunity to host the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. The country has never organised the tournament, and the proposed alliance would represent a new route towards achieving that ambition.

It would also give Guinea the chance to move beyond the problems that surrounded its previous hosting plans. The country was removed as host of the 2025 edition four years ago after delays affected the development of the infrastructure required for the competition.

The joint proposal is therefore seen in Guinea as a chance to repair the damage caused by what the source describes as the failure of 2022. A partnership with Senegal could provide access to facilities and organisational capacity that would be more difficult to deliver through a purely national bid.

Despite the strategic appeal of the plan, Guinea still faces a lengthy process before it can be considered a serious contender for 2032. Senegal must first formally respond to the offer, after which the two countries would need to establish the details of any joint application.

The final decision will rest with CAF. Until the Senegalese authorities approve the proposal and the confederation reaches its verdict, Guinea’s attempt to return to the Africa Cup of Nations hosting race remains an initiative rather than an officially confirmed bid.