Libya AFCON Bid: Can Libya Host Africa Cup of Nations Again?

Libya has finally made an official announcement about its attempts to win the right to host the Africa Cup of Nations. It marks the first time in more than four decades that the Libyan football authorities have tried to make the country’s bid to organize Africa’s top football event.

Libya AFCON bid, As reported by Libyan newspaper Alwasat, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sent a letter to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), informing it about the intention of Libya to participate in the process of bidding for one of the future editions of AFCON in 2028, 2032, or 2036.

Libya Makes Its Official Bid for AFCON

In addition, Libyan Football Federation President Abdul Moula Maghribi said that his organization has officially declared its intention to host AFCON.

This application is the first step towards the bidding procedure. Libya is going to prepare a complete dossier for hosting the tournament, which includes:

Stadium Infrastructure
Training Camps
Transport Facilities
Accommodation
Security & Logistics
Medical & Operational Services

The requirements will be evaluated by CAF for the selection of future hosts.

What prompted Libya’s bid?

According to Al-Maghribi, Libya’s decision has been inspired by the success of the UNAF U-20 Championship in Benghazi held in January this year.

It showed that Libya could host an international football competition and had improved its sporting infrastructure and planning.

Libya to upgrade crucial stadiums

Another important element of the bid is the modernisation of the current football infrastructure.

Upgrading projects mentioned by the federation include:

Tripoli International Stadium
Benghazi International Stadium

Investment will also be made in training camps along with other facilities.

Improvement in the transport, hospitality, and fan facilities will be another aspect of Libya’s hosting proposal.

Bidding Competition for Hosting of the Tournament will be Fierce

According to sources in Alwasat, the Libyan bid will encounter stiff competition from at least 17 other countries that are also interested in hosting one of the next three African Cup of Nations tournaments.

Some of these countries are believed to be considering joint bids, while the Libyan Football Federation wants to attempt alone.

It should be noted that CAF has not released any information about the countries on the short list for the above-mentioned tournaments.

Would Libya Be Able to Host the AFCON Again?

In case the Libyan bid is successful, the tournament will mark the second time Libya hosts the Africa Cup of Nations.

This tournament was organized in Libya back in 1982, which means that Libya can repeat the experience in a few years and be back in the spotlight of African football after 44 years.

What Lies Ahead?

After submitting the letter of intent, Libya will prepare its bid documents while CAF will evaluate the suitability of the candidate countries.

This evaluation process will involve the following elements:

Stadium preparedness.
Security preparations.
Government backing.
Transportation system.
Hotel accommodations.
Commercial and media considerations.

CAF will eventually decide if Libya is fit to hold one of Africa’s most prestigious sporting competitions.

Conclusion – Libya AFCON bid

Libya’s attempt to bid for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2028, 2032, or 2036 is a very important development in terms of Libya making an effort to get back into the continent’s sporting schedule. While there is no doubt that the country will face stiff competition, the willingness of the country to develop stadiums and other sporting facilities proves that it wants to organize one of the biggest football events in Africa.