Zimbabwe, SA, Botswana Submit Joint Bid to Host AFCON

Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Botswana have formally submitted a joint bid to host a future Africa Cup of Nations tournament, Zimeye reported. The tri-nation proposal builds on regional sporting cooperation and aims to bring the continental showpiece to Southern Africa. However, Zimbabwe’s past struggles to meet CAF hosting standards due to stadium deficiencies and inadequate infrastructure raise doubts about readiness. The bid will require massive upgrades to sports facilities, transport networks, and accommodation, with costs likely running into hundreds of millions of dollars. The horizon: the bid faces stiff competition from better-resourced North African nations with established infrastructure. Success will demand significant financial commitments that could strain national budgets already under pressure from debt and social spending.