Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are aiming to jointly host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The three Sahelian nations have officially expressed their intention to submit a joint bid, according to their respective national football federations.
As members of the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), the three countries hope to make the tournament a unifying project and a symbol of their regional cooperation.
Officials from the Malian, Nigerien, and Burkinabè football federations held a working session on Saturday in New York with CAF President Patrice Motsepe to discuss the framework of their joint bid.
According to the Malian Football Federation, the meeting marks "a decisive step in the bidding process" and allows the three associations to continue the procedures required under CAF regulations for the awarding of the 2032 edition.
The three federations now intend to prepare a "strong, credible bid that presents a new vision for African football," with the goal of staging a tournament that meets international standards.
Infrastructure Still Needs to Be Upgraded
In terms of hosting experience, the three countries have different backgrounds. Burkina Faso hosted the tournament in 1998, while Mali organized the 2002 edition. Niger, meanwhile, has never hosted Africa's biggest football competition.
In recent years, Bamako and Ouagadougou have invested in upgrading their sports infrastructure. Mali now has five CAF-approved stadiums, while Burkina Faso secured CAF approval for its main stadium, Stade du 4-Août in Ouagadougou, in 2025.
In Niger, renovation work to bring Stade Général Seyni Kountché up to CAF standards is still ongoing. The stadium has been barred from hosting international matches since 2022 because it failed to meet the Confederation's requirements.
The next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations will take place from June 19 to July 17, 2027, and will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The selection of the host nation—or nations—for the 2032 tournament is expected to take place after CAF reviews all submitted bids.