Football: Guinea bids to host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2032 and 2036 (government)

Guinea is a candidate to host the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2032 and 2036, the Guinean government announced, claiming to have "a solid case".

"The Prime Minister (of Guinea, Amadou Oury Bah) has officially signed Guinea's application to host the 2032 and 2036 editions of the AFCON," a government statement sent to AFP on Friday said.

Guinea "now has a solid bid, the result of a process of preparation and analysis of the various requirements related to organizing a competition of this scale," Mr. Bah declared after a meeting Thursday dedicated to these bids. These bids are consistent "with the vision of the President of the Republic, Mamadi Doumbouya, of making Guinea a country capable of hosting major international sporting events."

Mr. Doumbouya came to power through a coup in 2021 before being elected president in December 2025.

Guinea has never hosted a final phase of the AFCON and its national team, the "Syli national", has not participated in the last two editions.

Guinea's best result in this competition is a final lost on points against Morocco after a draw, in 1976 in Addis Ababa.

Following the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the 2027 edition will be co-hosted by three East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania). The 2028 edition, one year after the previous one, has not yet been awarded.

From 2028 onwards, the AFCON will take place every four years, instead of every two currently, to align with the same periodicity as other FIFA competitions.

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, facing deadly violence from jihadist groups, have also expressed their willingness to co-host the AFCON in 2032, according to their football federations.

AFP