Namibia withdraws from joint hosting of 2027 AFCON due to financial constraints

WINDHOEK - Namibia has terminated its agreement with Botswana to jointly host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), according to Namibia's Minister of Sport, Youth, and National Service, Agnes Tjongarero, on Wednesday.

In a letter addressed to Botswana's Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport, and Culture Development, Tumiso Ragkare, Tjongarero explained that Namibia could not fulfill the financial obligations required to host the tournament.

Tjongarero stated that a facilities audit report revealed that 4.8 billion Namibian dollars (about 320 million U.S. dollars) would be needed to upgrade sports infrastructure, which Namibia could not meet within the next three years due to limited financial resources.

She explained that after experiencing a severe drought, Namibia had to reprioritize its scarce resources to avoid a catastrophic economic situation.

However, she added, Namibia would honor outstanding payments for work completed to date in accordance with the 40/60 percent agreement towards the facilities audit work already completed.

The AFCON is a biennial continental men's football championship organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The tournament involves national teams from Africa competing for the title of African champions and is typically held every two years, except for the 2021 edition, which was postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2027 edition of the AFCON had been set to be jointly hosted by Namibia and Botswana. - XINHUA