President John Dramani Mahama has backed Ethiopia’s bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), saying the country has the facilities to stage a successful tournament.

Mahama made the remarks after inspecting the 52,000-capacity Bahir Dar Stadium alongside Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other African leaders during the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa.

He described the stadium as impressive and noted that it had already received certification from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

“This is a very impressive stadium, 52,000 capacity stadium and it’s CAF certified already and we know that Ethiopia is putting in a bid for the African Cup of Nations 2028,” Mahama said.

“Ethiopia hasn’t hosted it for a very long time so I think it’s only fair that they should be given an opportunity to do that but the facilities are impressive and I think that Ethiopia is ready to host a successful tournament.”

Ethiopia last hosted AFCON in 1976, when the tournament featured eight teams. The country is now seeking another opportunity to stage Africa’s premier men’s football competition.