Namibia rejects claims of 2028 AFCON co-hosting bid involvement

Namibia has moved to distance itself from reports suggesting it is part of a Southern African bid to co-host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations alongside several regional countries.

The government says it has neither approved nor authorised any such bid, contradicting recent statements from South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie and COSAFA president Tariq Babitseng.

According to Namibia’s Executive Director for Sports, Youth and National Service, Gerard Vries, no formal commitment has been made at any level of government regarding the tournament.

“The government of Namibia has not approved or authorised any bid for the 2028 Afcon tournament. No financial or operational commitments have been made towards hosting the tournament,” Vries said, as quoted by the Namibian News Agency.

He added that no budget allocation has been set aside, stressing that the country is not currently engaged in any official bidding or hosting process for the competition.

The clarification comes after McKenzie stated last month that South Africa was working on a regional bid involving Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Mozambique.

“We are making a bid for the 2028 Afcon. We are doing it with Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and Mozambique,” he said.

At the recent COSAFA congress in Harare, newly elected president Tariq Babitseng also indicated that a regional bid had already been submitted and expressed confidence in its prospects.

“We submitted our bid on time to host the tournament in southern Africa,” Babitseng told reporters in Harare.

Namibia’s position reflects a familiar pattern, having previously withdrawn from a joint bid with Botswana for the 2027 edition, which was ultimately awarded to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

The withdrawal at the time was linked to concerns over budget approval and the financial burden of hosting, with Namibia expected to shoulder around 40 percent of the costs.