JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Zimbabwe is among six southern African countries that will join South Africa in bidding to co-host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), South Africa’s sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has announced.
McKenzie named Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Mozambique as the countries South Africa is approaching for the joint bid, with a key meeting set for Harare later this month.
“We are making a bid for the 2028 Afcon. We are doing it with Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Mozambique,” McKenzie said on Wednesday.
The minister said the Cosafa presidential elections scheduled for May 17 in Zimbabwe would serve as the platform for the potential co-hosts to meet and formalise the arrangement.
“We will be meeting with the different countries to discuss this matter,” McKenzie said.
He added that stadium readiness would be a critical factor at that meeting, warning that vague promises of future construction would not be acceptable.
“We want to see their stadiums because we don’t want people telling us they are still going to build. At that meeting the final decision will be taken.”
McKenzie made clear that South Africa would proceed with or without its neighbours if the co-hosting arrangement fell through.
Zimbabwe currently has no FIFA-approved stadium for international matches, although renovations to the National Sports Stadium in Harare could see it make the grade in the next inspection.
South Africa last hosted the continental showpiece in 2013.
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