29 months from now, the whole of Africa will be at a standstill as the biggest continental football tournament will expectedly be underway for the Coral edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, however, there is no confirmed host for the biennial event.
Guinea was primed to host the showpiece after winning the hosting rights in 2014 but, eventually in September 2022, was stripped of it. This was a result of the country’s lackluster preparations for the tournament tagged AFCON 2025.
The Confederation of African Football however had to reopen the bidding process for the tournament and several nations have already expressed their interest in serving as 2025 hosts before the window closed on 16th December.
Five bids have been submitted to CAF to host the 24-team tournament expected to take place in six-match stadiums.
According to CAF’s specifications, these six stadiums for the competition must include;
1. Two stadiums with at least 15,000 seats
2. Two others with at least 20,000 seats and
3. The last two with a capacity of at least 40,000 seats to host the match. opening and final of the tournament.
2025 AFCON bidding timeline & process
The search for a new host was officially launched in the fourth quarter of 2022, and CAF announced that the vetting process spans a total of 56 days, before a final decision is disclosed on February 10, 2024, 28 months before the event.
ALGERIA
Algeria successfully submitted a box to host the 2025 AFCON and is a serious contender for the biennial showpiece. The last time the North African country hosted the tournament was in 1990, which included only eight teams, and they won it for the first time, as the Desert Foxes defeated Nigeria 1-0 in the final.
The country boasts of standard facilities as they are set to host the 2023 CHAN scheduled from January 13 to February 4, 2023.
“Unlike other bids, Algeria has facilities that are already operational,” Abderezzak Sebgag, the sports minister boasts of.
MOROCCO
Morocco has recently hosted several continental competitions and boasts of world-class facilities that may not be rivaled by any country on the continent.
The competitions include Women’s AFCON 2022 (Casablanca and Rabat), the Women’s Champions League (Rabat and Marrakech), and the 2018 African Nations Championship or CHAN (Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakech, and Agadir).
Interestingly, Morocco has not hosted the African Cup of Nations since 1988 which was played with 8 teams at the Mohammed V Complex and Moulay Abdellah Complex and was won by Cameroon.
Morocco is becoming a leading voice in football and it is no surprise the country is considering co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup after bidding for the FIFA World Cup five times previously, most recently losing to the joint bid of the USA, Canada, and Mexico for the 2026 tournament.
SENEGAL
Defending champions of Africa, Senegal is among the five Nations bidding to host this tournament. Senegal had only on one occasion hosted the AFCON, which was in 1992.
But, as things stand, the probability of Senegal winning the bid is low as the West African country has only two stadiums capable of meeting the specifications of CAF, which requires a minimum of six.
Photo Credit: Saddick Adams
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa will always be remembered for defying all odds and becoming the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010. Twelve years after South Africa last hosted the AFCON, it could well be returning to the home of Bafana Bafana in 2025 who have not successfully qualified for AFCON since 2019, when they were defeated by Nigeria in the quarter-finals
Should South Africa’s reported bid be successful, it will be the third time they host the tournament. The 1996 African champions however boast of modern facilities capable of hosting the biennial showpiece but concerns over the country’s leadership are a major issue.
ZAMBIA
From the Southern African zone, Zambia is a keen contender to host the AFCON. The 2012 African champions have never hosted the tournament before. The country was due to host in 1988 but failed and got punished by CAF. Zambia’s Football Association (Faz) had earlier put in a bid for the 2025 AFCON but missed out on Guinea.
Following reports, the country has three venues in Lusaka, Ndola/Kitwe, and Livingstone ready to host the tournament.
NIGERIA-BENIN
Earlier this year, the immediate past president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Melvin Pinnick was the first person to fly the idea of Nigeria co-hosting with her close neighbours, the Republic of Benin. Many people took it as a political statement but, it is now a seeming reality.
Nigeria first staged the AFCON in 1980 and won the trophy for the first time with a 3-0 victory over the Desert Foxes of Algeria in the final match. 20 years later, Nigeria co-hosted the 2000 edition with Ghana.
Nigeria, often referred to as the Giant of Africa is now attempting to co-host a 24-team tournament with Benin. The last time the 2013 Champions hosted the AFCON was in 2000 which was also co-hosted with Ghana when the Super Eagles lost the final on home soil to the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the National Stadium in Lagos.
The Republic of Benin on the other hand has never hosted a major continental tournament. Infrastructure-wise, Benin boasts of only one stadium meeting up to CAF requirements, the Stade de l’Amitié, which can accommodate 20,000.
13 years after Nigeria last hosted any major football tournament, the NFF believes it’s nigh for the Coral edition to hold in Nigeria.