Nigeria/Benin bid in forefront as Algeria withdraw from race to host 2027 AFCON

The joint bid by Nigeria and neighboring Republic of Benin has emerged as a strong contender in the race to host the 36th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027, according to CompleteSports.

The Confederation of African Football’s Executive Committee will vote on the bids for both 2025 and 2027 in Cairo on Wednesday.

Morocco is nearly guaranteed to host the 2025 finals, leaving Nigeria and Republic of Benin competing with Senegal, Egypt, Botswana, and a tripartite arrangement of Uganda/Kenya/Tanzania for the 2027 event. Algeria, initially a strong candidate for the 2027 event, withdrew from the race.

Guinea was originally selected to host the 2025 finals but lost the hosting right due to infrastructure and facility issues, compounded by a change in government.

Nigeria has proposed several stadiums for the 2027 bid, the likes of MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja; Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt; Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo; Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos; Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna; Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba; Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City and; Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano while Republic of Benin offers the Stade Mathieu Kerekou in Cotonou and the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo.

Nigeria has previously hosted and won the 1980 edition of the AFCON and co-hosted the 2000 finals with Ghana.