MBABANE – Something big has just landed on Eswatini football’s doorstep.
It is not a fixture. It is not a friendly. It is a chance, a rare one to stand alongside the giants of African football and say: we are ready.
The Confederation of African Football has reopened bidding for the hosting rights of AFCON 2028, 2031 and 2033 after restoring the tournament to a two-year cycle. In a letter to all 54 member associations, CAF confirmed that AFCON 2028 remains unchanged, while AFCON 2031 replaces AFCON 2032 and AFCON 2033 replaces AFCON 2036.
Crucially, every association – including those that did not apply before, now has another chance to bid.
For Eswatini, a nation more used to watching AFCON from afar than hosting it, the announcement is both a challenge and an invitation to dream bigger.
The question is no longer whether CAF will listen. It is whether Eswatini is ready to speak.
Hosting AFCON would demand world-class stadiums, training grounds, hotels, roads, airports and security – infrastructure the Kingdom is still building. The recent waterlogging of Somhlolo National Stadium, which forced the postponement of the Charity Cup final, was a reminder of how much work remains.
But opportunity rarely arrives when a country feels fully ready. A bid even a joint bid with neighbouring South Africa or Mozambique – could accelerate stadium upgrades, attract investment, create jobs and put Eswatini on the continental map.
It could also inspire a generation. Imagine Sihlangu walking out at a packed Somhlolo in an AFCON opener, with the whole continent watching Mbabane.
The Eswatini Football Association now faces a decision: watch from the sidelines, or declare interest and start the conversation.
CAF has set November 17, 2026 as the deadline for declarations of interest, November 24 for clarifications, and December 8 for completed bids.
The Eswatini Football Association President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane said the opportunity is there but the country’s major downfall is the issue of the stadium.
