The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially accepted the joint declaration of interest submitted by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to host the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The decision followed a meeting between CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe and the presidents of the football federations of the three West African nations.
The proposed bid is being driven by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger aiming to jointly host Africa's biggest football tournament for the first time.
CAF praised the three countries for their shared vision and commitment to using football as a platform to strengthen regional cooperation, describing the initiative as an important step towards fostering unity and development across the continent.
The acceptance of the declaration of interest represents the first stage of the bidding process, with the three nations now expected to continue working closely with CAF to satisfy the technical and organisational requirements for hosting the 2032 Africa Cup of Nations.