The Namibian government has officially denied any involvement in a joint Southern African plan to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football tournament.
The announcement comes despite recent public claims from South Africa’s (SA) Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, and the President of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), Tariq Babitseng, who both stated that a regional bid had already been submitted. McKenzie had previously announced a massive joint bid involving SA, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and Mozambique.
However, Gerard Vries, the Executive Director for Namibia’s Ministry of Sports, Youth, and National Service, completely rejected these claims, stating that the government has not approved or authorised any bid, and no money or operational support has been promised.
Namibia insists that no money has been set aside in its national budget for the tournament. The country previously pulled out of a joint bid with Botswana to host the 2027 AFCON because of high costs and financial difficulties.
–ChannelAfrica–
