12 hours agoInside BFA’s bid for AFCON 2028

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) has firmly thrown its hat into the ring for AFCON 2028, but this won’t be a solo effort. The association is putting forward a joint bid to co-host the tournament with South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, this publication has learned. This bold bid aims to bring Africa’s flagship football event back to Southern Africa.

It’s the product of months of behind-the-scenes negotiations among football officials and political leaders across the four nations. If it succeeds, the consortium will stage the first AFCON finals under the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) new four-year cycle an achievement that would add historic weight to the proposal. Sources close to the process reveal that talks between South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, and BFA president Tariq Babitseng have been ongoing for some time.

Locally, Babitseng has held several meetings with Botswana’s Minister of Sports and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng, as well as the newly appointed Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) CEO, Olebile Sikwane. Insiders say these discussions have focused on aligning Botswana’s readiness with South Africa’s more advanced infrastructure, while weaving Namibia and Zimbabwe in as strategic partners in the joint effort. While South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe are reportedly ready to move forward, Botswana is still waiting for formal Cabinet approval.

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A senior source at Lekidi Football Centre shared that Minister Kelebeng had planned to present the proposal at a recent Cabinet meeting but was unable to do so, causing a slight delay. Under the proposed hosting plan, South Africa would stage both the opening match and the final, capitalizing on its world-class stadiums and experience hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2013 AFCON. Botswana is slated to host one or two group-stage matches and at least one semi-final, while Namibia and Zimbabwe would share the remaining group games and select knockout fixtures.

If approved, this bid would mark AFCON’s return to the Southern African or COSAFA region nearly 15 years after South Africa last hosted the tournament in 2013. As part of the hosting requirements, the four sports ministers are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bind their governments formally to the joint bid and outline responsibilities concerning infrastructure, security, logistics, and funding. In an interview with this publication this week, Minister of Sports and Arts Jacob Kelebeng confirmed that Botswana is keen to partner with South Africa in a joint bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Kelebeng said while discussions around the joint bid are progressing, local stakeholders are still fine-tuning internal processes to ensure the country is adequately prepared to host a tournament of such magnitude.

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