Ethiopia has formally entered the race to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) submitting its application documents to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

According to Fana Media Corporation, the federation submitted its application documents as CAF continues the process of selecting hosts for the 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions of the continental tournament.

Ethiopia’s latest move revives its long-standing aspiration to bring Africa’s premier national-team football competition back to the country.

The country had previously expressed interest in hosting the 2029 edition. Then-President Taye Atske-Selassie and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed both voiced support for the plan during CAF’s 46th Ordinary General Assembly in Addis Ababa in October 2024.

However, Ethiopia has now shifted its focus to the 2028 tournament following changes to CAF’s hosting cycle.

The 2027 AFCON has already been awarded to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, while the process for determining the hosts of subsequent editions is ongoing.