Botswana Pulls Out Of 2028 AFCON Joint Bid

Botswana has pulled out of a joint bid with South Africa and Zimbabwe to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations, leaving the two remaining countries to carry on the process with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The withdrawal followed the Botswana government’s decision not to provide the financial guarantee required for the country’s participation in the bid. According to Botswana’s Mmegi newspaper, as cited by Morocco World News, the government cited financial limitations and said hosting the tournament was not currently among its priorities.

As a result, Botswana did not submit the necessary bidding documents by the September 14, 2026 deadline, while South Africa and Zimbabwe did.

The Botswana Football Association had earlier maintained that the financial guarantee was not mandatory at the initial stage of the bidding process. However, the government’s position ultimately ended the three-nation hosting plan.

The original proposal would have shared matches between Gaborone and Francistown. It also aimed to use Francistown’s existing stadium while the National Stadium in Gaborone underwent renovations, a plan that could have helped lower travel costs.

Botswana’s exit is another setback for the country’s ambitions to host Africa’s biggest football tournament. It had previously shown interest in staging the 2027 AFCON before CAF awarded that edition to the joint bid from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

With Botswana no longer involved, South Africa and Zimbabwe will continue their bid without their former partner. CAF will make the final decision on the 2028 host, with further developments expected as the remaining two countries seek to complete the process.