Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger launch bid for 2032 Afcon

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have jointly entered a bid to host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations, after the Confederation of African Football opened the process for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 tournaments. The three neighbouring Sahel states are all currently run by military governments. Mali’s football federation, Femafoot, said the proposal would be framed around regional cooperation, solidarity and sustainable development in African football.

The bid comes amid wider political realignment in the region. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left Ecowas last year and have formed the Alliance of Sahel States, a grouping intended to deepen cooperation on security, infrastructure, trade and economic development. BBC Africa notes that the countries continue to face serious insecurity linked to attacks by armed jihadist groups, while their governments have distanced themselves from traditional Western security partners and increased ties with Russia.

Caf president Patrice Motsepe told BBC Sport Africa that the countries would not be ruled out because they are led by juntas, but said safety, free movement of fans, policing and infrastructure would all have to be assessed. He stressed that Caf’s executive committee, not the president alone, will choose the hosts, and said he intends to visit the countries to discuss football matters.

Football officials from the three countries met Motsepe in New York on Saturday ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup final, according to the report. Burkina Faso hosted Afcon in 1998 and Mali in 2002, while Niger has qualified for the finals only twice. The tournament is set to move to a four-year cycle after 2028, and Caf is also considering whether to expand the competition from 24 to 28 teams.