Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are teaming up in a joint bid for 2032 Africa Cup of Nations

Three neighbouring African countries are bidding to host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations jointly as the trio of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso bids to host Africa's biggest football tournament under a single regional bid.

Malian Football Federation sources said they had met the Confederation of African Football (Cafa) president Patrice Motsepe in New York on Saturday to discuss the proposed bid.

The meeting came at a critical juncture during the formal bid, the federation said, adding that the purpose of the meeting was to “present their case, in the context of a joint bid to host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations”.

The three countries are part of the Alliance of Sahel States, and are currently under military-led governments after a series of coups in the region.

The preparations for formal bids begin. Formal bid preparation begins for federations.

Malian federation said the negotiations with CAF will enable the three associations to advance with the conditions outlined in the governing body's criteria for granting the tournament.

Officials from the three countries will be further working on a comprehensive proposal for tournament infrastructure, such as stadium, transport, accommodation, security, and more.

The federation stated the partners are planning to come up with a “robust, credible bid” around a new vision for African football.

Previous AFCON Hosting Experience

The continental tournament was held in the past in Burkina Faso and Mali.

The 1998 edition was hosted by Burkina Faso and the 2002 edition was hosted by Mali. Niger has never been the host to the senior Africa Cup of Nations.

Currently, Mali has five stadiums approved by CAF and Burkina Faso has its primary stadium in Ouagadougou approved in 2025.

There is a significant amount of infrastructure work left in the way of Niger. The General Seyni Kountche Stadium was not allowed to host international football matches since 2022 and is in the process of being improved to meet CAF standards.

Security and Infrastructure are among the Major Tests category.

This combined bid will be subject to a rigorous evaluation as the three nations tackle serious security issues related to activities of armed groups in the Sahel region.

CAF will also be studying the capacity of the proposed hosts to host the expanded tournament successfully in terms of adequate venues, training facilities, transport network, Hotels and operational capacity.

The Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will host the next Africa Cup of Nations from June 19th to July 17th, 2027.