The Ethiopian Football Federation confirmed the bid in a post on X late Monday. Ethiopia previously hosted AFCON in 1976.
Ethiopia bids to host 2028 AFCON
Ethiopia has formally submitted a bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), more than half a century after it last staged the tournament.
With a population of around 130 million, Ethiopia is Africa's second-most populous country. Its capital, Addis Ababa, is home to the headquarters of the African Union (AU) and, at around 2,300 metres above sea level, is the highest-altitude capital on the continent.
However, the bid faces several challenges, including ongoing insurgencies in the country's two most populous regions, Amhara and Oromia, as well as concerns over renewed conflict between the federal government and the northern Tigray region.
Ethiopia's national team is ranked 143rd out of 211 nations by FIFA. It last competed at AFCON in 2022, when it was eliminated in the group stage.
"Ethiopia has formally submitted its bid to CAF to host AFCON 2028," the federation said on X, "reaffirming the nation's full readiness to host Africa's biggest footballing event."
The most recent AFCON was hosted by Morocco, while the next edition will be jointly staged by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
From 2028, AFCON is set to move from its biennial format to being held every four years, bringing its schedule more closely in line with other major international competitions.
