Africa-Press – Uganda. The landscape of African football has witnessed an unprecedented historic step with the official announcement of a joint bid from four countries in the southern region to host the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations “CAN 2028.” This quadruple alliance, which includes South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, represents a first-of-its-kind precedent in the history of the continental tournament, which has never before seen such a large-scale joint organization.
COSAFA Takes Action
The president of the Football Association in Botswana, Tarik Babitseng, announced after being elected president of the Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) that the bid has been officially submitted to the African Football Confederation (CAF) on time.
Babitseng outlined the ambitious hosting plan, indicating that the organization of the tournament will be intelligently distributed among the four countries. Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia are expected to host one or two groups each, while South Africa will host the majority of the tournament matches due to its previous World Cup capabilities. He affirmed, saying: “We have advanced transport networks and the necessary infrastructure to ensure the success of this exceptional edition.”
The Logic of Geographical Justice in Africa
This move by COSAFA, which is the largest regional body in Africa with 14 countries, comes from the standpoint of enforcing geographical justice in the distribution of the tournament. After the recent editions were held in Cameroon (Central), Ivory Coast (West), and Morocco (North), and with the upcoming “CAN 2027” set to take place in the eastern part of the continent through a tri-nation bid involving Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, the southern region believes that 2028 is the perfect time for the tournament to return to its lands. Notably, South Africa (1996 and 2013) and Angola (2010) are the only two countries from the region that have historically received this honor.
Although the quadruple organization may seem unusual for Africa, there are similar global experiences that have proven successful, such as the 2007 AFC Asian Cup (4 countries), the 2020 UEFA European Championship (11 countries), and the upcoming Euro 2028, which will witness a five-nation organization in Britain and Ireland.
