Botswana will not bid for 2025 AFCON

FRANCISTOWN: The Minister of Youth, Sport, Gender and Culture Tumiso Rakgare says Botswana is not interested in bidding for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Botswana and Namibia have plans to bid for the 2027 AFCON, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has provided an opportunity for countries interested in staging the 2025 edition to submit bids.

The continental soccer body recently reopened the bidding process for the 2025 AFCON after Guinea lost the right to host the competition. A host of countries are reportedly interested in hosting the 2025 tournament.

Most nota- ble, Morocco and Senegal who had shown interest to host the 2027

AFCON are said to be lining up bids to host the 2025 edition. “We are sticking to our plan to host the 2027 showpiece with Namibia. Bidding for the 2025 showpiece will not be viable. It will be a daunting task to bid for the 2025 AFCON.

We will not have time to mobilise resources. We are not interested in hosting the 2025 tournament at all.” The minister also said Botswana cannot go against a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Namibia.

“If one of the countries that were to bid for the 2027 edition bid for the 2025 event and win, it will be a blessing. It will reduce competition for us in 2027,” he said. Meanwhile, Rakgare told Mmegi Sport that progress has been made to identify a facilities auditor for the Botswana-Namibia 2027 AFCON bid. “We are progressing well in terms of identifying the facilities auditor.

I am very optimistic that by the end of the week the whole process would have been completed and an announcement will be made,” Rakgare told Mmegi South African football expert Ian Riley has been widely tipped to win the tender to audit the facilities for Botswana and Namibia to inform the bidding process.

Riley boasts a decorated CV. He played a significant role in helping South Africa win the rights to host the 2010 World Cup. He was the tournament director for the 1996 AFCON and served as technical director for England’s 2018 FIFA World

Cup. He also previously served on the CAF media committee.