By Tichaona Katsvamutima
Botswana has withdrawn from the joint bid with South Africa and Zimbabwe to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after its government declined to provide the financial guarantee required for the country’s participation.
The decision leaves South Africa and Zimbabwe to pursue the hosting bid without their neighbor.
According to Botswana newspaper Mmegi, the Botswana government cited financial constraints and indicated that hosting the continent’s premier football tournament was not currently among its priorities.
Botswana failed to submit the required bidding documents by the September 14, 2026 deadline, while South Africa and Zimbabwe submitted their documents with government guarantees.
The original three-nation proposal would have seen matches staged in Botswana, with Gaborone and Francistown identified as potential venues. Francistown’s existing stadium infrastructure was expected to be utilised while renovation work was being undertaken at the National Stadium in Gaborone.
Botswana had previously expressed interest in hosting the 2027 AFCON, but that tournament was awarded to the joint East African bid from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
The withdrawal now leaves South Africa and Zimbabwe to continue with their 2028 AFCON hosting ambitions.
CAF is expected to assess the remaining bids before announcing the host or co-hosts for the 2028 finals.
The development also highlights the financial demands involved in staging AFCON, with governments expected to provide guarantees and commit significant resources towards stadiums, infrastructure, logistics and tournament operations.
