The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sent an evaluation mission to Burkina Faso to assess the country's readiness to co-host the 2030 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN 2030) with Mali and Niger. The mission, led by Emmanuel Newton Dasoberi, a professional football manager, was received by Burkina Faso's Minister of Sports, Annick Pikbougoum/Zingue Ouattara, on November 8, 2026. The meeting discussed the mission's evaluation of Burkinabè infrastructure and installations.
The evaluation mission reviewed several essential elements for hosting a continental competition of this magnitude, including human resources, sports infrastructure, and hotel facilities. On November 8, the delegation visited the 4-Août Stadium, the COMET training center for the Étalons, which has two fields, and the Ouaga 2000 Lancaster Hotel. Several institutional and technical actors participated in the visit, including representatives from the Prime Minister's office, ministries responsible for Foreign Affairs, Construction, and Health.
The mission was accompanied by several experts, including Toussaint Somdah, an independent expert. This first step will be followed by other CAF expert missions, particularly in security, information technology, infrastructure, and health. These successive evaluations will assess the capacities and dispositions of the candidate countries, in consultation with Mali and Niger.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are bidding to host CAN 2030 under the aegis of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The countries aim to submit a solid bid to obtain CAF approval for the organization of CAN 2030. Minister Annick Pikbougoum/Zingue Ouattara reaffirmed the Burkinabè government's willingness to work with AES member states to achieve this goal.
The evaluation mission's visit is a crucial step in the bid process for CAN 2030. CAF experts will assess the readiness of the bidding countries, including their infrastructure, logistics, and organizational capabilities. The mission's findings will inform CAF's decision on which country or countries will host the tournament.
Burkina Faso has been actively preparing to host major international events, and the CAN 2030 bid is a priority for the government. Hosting the tournament would provide an opportunity for the country to showcase its capabilities and infrastructure to the African and global sports communities.
The CAF evaluation mission's visit to Burkina Faso is a significant milestone in the country's bid to co-host CAN 2030. The mission's outcome will determine the next steps in the bid process, and the country is optimistic about its chances of being selected as a host nation.
Key points
- The CAF evaluation mission assesses Burkina Faso's readiness to co-host CAN 2030.
