Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have formally submitted a joint bid to host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), marking a significant political and sporting development across the Sahel region. The submission follows the Confederation of African Football (Caf) opening applications for the 2028, 2032, and 2036 editions of its flagship tournament.

The Malian Football Federation (Femafoot) confirmed the joint proposal, framing it around the principles of "solidarity, regional integration and sustainable development of African football." The federation added that relevant authorities would work together on a "solid, credible bid" intended to bring a fresh vision to African football.

Security questions loom large

All three nations are currently governed by military juntas and officially departed the West African regional bloc Ecowas last year, forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) — a partnership focused on security, infrastructure, trade, and economic cooperation. Despite that alliance, the security situation across the three countries remains deeply unstable, with ongoing attacks from armed jihadist groups. The trio have also shifted away from traditional Western security partners in favour of closer ties with Russia.

Caf president Patrice Motsepe addressed the security concerns directly when asked by BBC Sport Africa, insisting that the three countries would get "as good a chance as everybody else" of landing the tournament. "They are not going to be disadvantaged or prejudiced by the fact that they are military juntas, but you raise a very important point," Motsepe said. "The questions of safety and security… those are questions that we will have to address."

Motsepe was equally candid on governance standards. "Of course, democracy and freedom of speech and regular elections, that's non-negotiable. And that's critical," he said, adding that he would personally visit all three countries to engage on the football side of things. He also stressed that Caf's executive committee — not the president alone — would make the final hosting decision. "The standards are very high. We have to be convinced that there will be free movement of our fans and spectators in and out," he said.

Preliminary discussions in New York

The presidents of the three football federations met with Motsepe in New York on Saturday, on the sidelines of the 2026 Fifa World Cup final. Colonel-Major Djibrilla Hima Hamidou, a Fifa Council member and honorary president of Niger's football federation, also attended the gathering.

Both Burkina Faso and Mali have prior Afcon hosting experience — Burkina Faso staged the tournament in 1998 and Mali in 2002. The next edition, to be held across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, will be the first Afcon co-hosted by three nations simultaneously.

Tournament format and regional media

Afcon is set to shift to a four-year cycle from 2028 onwards. Motsepe noted that Caf has received "exciting bids" for the upcoming editions and is still weighing whether to expand the finals from 24 to 28 teams.

Beyond football, the AES has been consolidating regional ties on other fronts. Burkina Faso's transitional parliament this week approved the creation of Daande Liptako Radio and Tafouk TV — joint media platforms designed to amplify the alliance's message and strengthen cooperation in information and communication across the three member states.