BY GRACE ZIGAH
President John Dramani Mahama has thrown his support behind Ethiopia’s bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), arguing that the country has the facilities and capacity to stage a successful edition of Africa’s biggest men’s football tournament.
Mahama expressed his support after inspecting the 52,000-capacity Bahir Dar Stadium alongside Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other African leaders during the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa.
The Ghanaian President described the facility as impressive and highlighted its certification by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), suggesting that Ethiopia had made significant progress towards meeting the requirements for hosting the continental showpiece.
“This is a very impressive stadium, 52,000 capacity stadium and it’s CAF certified already, and we know that Ethiopia is putting in a bid for the African Cup of Nations 2028,” Mahama said.
He also argued that Ethiopia deserved an opportunity to host the competition, considering the length of time since the country last staged the tournament.
“Ethiopia hasn’t hosted it for a very long time, so I think it’s only fair that they should be given an opportunity to do that, but the facilities are impressive and I think that Ethiopia is ready to host a successful tournament,” he added.
Ethiopia Seeks Return to AFCON Hosting Stage
Ethiopia last hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 1976, when the tournament featured eight teams. Its reported bid for the 2028 edition represents an attempt to bring the competition back to the East African nation after a gap of more than five decades.
Securing the hosting rights would offer Ethiopia an opportunity to showcase its sporting infrastructure and demonstrate its capacity to organise one of the continent’s biggest sporting events.
Hosting AFCON can also provide countries with opportunities to attract international visitors, stimulate economic activity and invest in football infrastructure, including stadiums and training facilities.
However, the final decision will rest with CAF, which oversees the tournament and determines the host nation based on its hosting requirements and selection process.
