Nam, SA Afcon talks still a pipedream, experts say

Namibia and South Africa have not discussed co-hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in 2028, despite a South African minister saying there are plans to do so.

South African sport minister Gayton Mckenzie said in an interview over the weekend that Namibia and Botswana would be part of a collaborative regional bid to host the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF’s) flagship tournament.

However, Namibian sport minister Sanet Steenkamp told The Namibian on Tuesday that they are yet to be approached with the proposal.

“There is no current update on this announcement. The minister (McKenzie) is also in transit on official travel,” Stacey-Lee Khojane, the spokesperson in McKenzie’s ministry, told The Namibian.

Mckenzie said the last time the tournament was hosted in southern Africa was in 2013.

He warned that failing to land the 2028 hosting rights could leave southern Africa without the tournament for years.

“If we miss this one, it will be two decades of no Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in southern Africa. How can that be,” he said.

He added that his ministry plans to submit an official expression of interest to CAF ahead of the February deadline.

Namibia’s sport director, Vetumbuavi Veii, says co-hosting the Afcon with South Africa would be an opportunity to upgrade Namibia’s stadiums. He urges the government to seize the opportunity.

“It could finally bring the standard of our stadiums to the level required by the International Federation of Football Associations and the CAF,” says Veii.

This could see the national football team playing international matches on home soil in the future.

‘NOT PRACTICAL’

However, football analyst Hector Mawango says the idea of Namibia and South Africa co-hosting the 2028 Afcon may not be practical.

“We were supposed to bid for the 2027 Afcon with Botswana, but failed because our stadium was not ready,” he says.

He believes it is not possible for Namibia to upgrade the required stadiums in only two years.

“The delay in the upgrade of the Independence Stadium comes down to bureaucracy. We have no idea who is accountable or has the final say,” he says.

Mawango says there is too much “blame-shifting” and that the public has no idea who is responsible, adding: “The delay in the upgrade demonstrates the government’s lack of commitment.”

Former Namibia Football Association secretary general Barry Rukoro says, despite southern Africa hosting three tournaments in the past, it remains important for the region to host Afcon.

But he adds: “It’s difficult for Namibia and Botswana to do it on their own. If you look at the recent Afcon in Morocco, the bar has been lifted so high.”

Local women’s football analyst Julien Garises calls on the government to learn from Namibia’s 2027 Afcon bid, which the country had to withdraw from due to cost implications.

“If there’s money, let’s instead concentrate on upgrading the stadiums,” she says.

Garises says the eighth administration has given regional governors the responsibility of building stadiums.

“We are losing potential future footballers. Let’s rather support the government initiative of building stadiums in the regions.”

She argues that Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya won the 2027 edition because their respective presidents emphasised the importance of hosting the continental showpiece.

Garises says Namibia’s failure was due to a bidding process conducted in secret, and that the president at the time did not express the need to co-host the 2027 tournament.

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