AFCON 2029: what would hosting cost the DR Congo?

Hosting an Africa Cup of Nations in the DR Congo would be every Congolese person's dream. And that dream can only come true if there is political will. That political will already seems to exist at the highest level of Congolese power.

Indeed, at a press briefing, President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi expressed the wish to host AFCON in the DR Congo, as early as 2029 if possible.

Following the Ivorian model

President Tshisekedi's wish has not gone unnoticed among a people who live and breathe football. And Congolese sports figures have already started thinking about what a possible realisation of this dream of hosting AFCON 2029 might look like.

One of those sports figures has thrown himself fully into the project: Bob Richard Makandalele, who has brought two members of the Organising Committee of AFCON Côte d'Ivoire 2023 to Kinshasa to share their experience. "The aim is to learn from those who succeeded in getting things right. We all went to Côte d'Ivoire and saw what they managed to do at their AFCON. The head of state expressed the wish to host AFCON in the DR Congo and we are going to support him so that this dream becomes a reality," he said.

Read also: Champions Trophy: towards a 2025 edition in the DR Congo

Among the COCAN Côte d'Ivoire 2023 members in Kinshasa were the communications director, Jean-Tanguy Yapoidou, and the ticketing manager, Janvier Kouakou. The two men revealed some of the strategies that contributed to the success of the AFCON organisation in Côte d'Ivoire, which remains one of the best in the tournament's history. They believe the DR Congo can do as well as, or better than, Côte d'Ivoire, provided the right people are put in the right positions.

More than two billion US dollars required

Among the experts met in Kinshasa was Marie-Laure Lepas Kanda, a business manager with in-depth expertise in finance and the digital economy. Drawing on data from the organisation of AFCON 2017 in Gabon, 2019 in Egypt, 2021 in Cameroon and 2023 in Côte d'Ivoire, she estimated that two billion, four hundred million US dollars (2,400,000,000) would be needed in financial resources to stage a good AFCON in the DR Congo.

A large part of that sum would go towards building stadiums that meet international standards, which are almost non-existent in the DR Congo, and other related infrastructure, as well as strengthening the fleet of the national airline, which would have to transport teams and supporters between provincial cities that are very far apart.

In return, the country could expect a return on investment almost equal to the amount spent, meaning more than two billion US dollars, along with net economic growth during the tournament period. "The benefits of hosting an AFCON are multifaceted. Besides the infrastructure, there is the creation of direct and indirect jobs. There is a boost for the country's tourism and for the image projected internationally. There is also a strengthening of the country's soft power, not forgetting national cohesion. The DR Congo could do better than Côte d'Ivoire because it can already draw on the latter's expertise, adapting it to its own realities on the ground. Its geopolitical position is also an asset. All it takes is ambition and putting the right people to work," she said.

It remains to be seen whether the DR Congo will draw up a proper bid file to submit to CAF to request hosting an AFCON by 2029.