Sports Minister reveals when South Africa will submit AFCON 2028 bid

Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has insisted that Southern Africa must get the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations hosting rights.

McKenzie confirmed this month that South Africa will submit a bid to host the 2028 tournament and is open to hosting it jointly with neighbouring countries if they are ready and willing.

East Africa will stage AFCON 2027 with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania co-hosting it and there will be another one in 2028 before the tournament starts a four-year cycle.

McKenzie fears Southern Africa could wait for long to host it if they miss the 2028 edition, hence the need to go all out this time.

McKenzie on why Southern Africa must host

“Africa Cup of Nations should come here. If we don’t host it in 2028, then it will go two decades without us having the Africa Cup of Nations this side,” McKenzie told SABC.

“We have never planned for the Africa Cup of Nations. The last time it was here, we were standing in so the time has come for us to apply and to get it. It is definitely coming, Bafana Bafana is on a roll,” he added, referring to the 1996 and 2013 editions which South Africa hosted after Kenya and Libya, who had won the bids, were not ready in time.

McKenzie has also revealed when South Africa will submit its bid while confirming the neighbouring countries that could join them.

Which other countries are interested?

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie provided an update on South Africa's 2028 AFCON bid, revealing to SABC Sport that Lesotho and Mozambique are also interested in co-hosting.

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“The deadline is Sunday [and] tomorrow [Saturday] we will be putting in an official intention to host it and we want to host it with Namibia and Botswana. Lesotho have also sent me a letter, they also want to be part of it…Mozambique.

“So the more, the merrier, we can share the games but for me, Southern Africa, it is our time.”

Confederation of African Football opened the bidding period for AFCON 2028 and will assess them before selecting the host nation(s) for the tournament.