The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has accepted the joint declaration of interest submitted by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), allowing the three Sahel nations to move to the next stage of the tournament's bidding process.
The confirmation marks the first formal milestone in the Alliance of Sahel States' (AES) ambition to jointly stage Africa's premier football competition, although the trio has not yet been awarded hosting rights.
The Nigerien Football Federation (FENIFOOT) announced that CAF had officially accepted the declaration of interest submitted by the football federations of the three countries in accordance with Article 7.3 of CAF's bidding regulations.
According to FENIFOOT, the acceptance confirms that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have met the initial requirement to enter the official process through which CAF will evaluate and select the host nation or nations for the 2032 tournament.
First step in a competitive bidding process
