Guinea has officially entered the race to host future editions of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the government submitting bids for the 2032 and 2036 tournaments.
Guinean Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah officially signed the country’s application, with the government insisting that Guinea now has a strong bid backed by preparations and an assessment of the requirements needed to stage a major continental competition.
Bah said the bid forms part of President Mamadi Doumbouya’s vision of positioning Guinea as a country capable of hosting major international sporting events.
Guinea has never hosted the final phase of the AFCON. The country’s national team also missed the last two editions, while their best performance in the competition came in 1976, when they finished as runners-up behind Morocco.
The 2027 AFCON will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, while the host of the following edition has yet to be determined. From 2028, the tournament is expected to move to a four-year cycle, bringing it in line with the frequency of other major continental competitions.
Guinea’s bid for 2032 and 2036 could therefore represent a major opportunity for the country to host Africa’s premier national team competition for the first time.