LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) Nigeria and Benin Republic’s joint bid to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027 was unsuccessful as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania were named the joint hosts for the tournament.
The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, along with representatives from the Nigeria Football Federation, had travelled to Egypt to make their bid for hosting AFCON 2027.
Additionally, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that Morocco will host the 2025 edition of the tournament.
Morocco had initially been chosen to host in 2015 but requested a postponement due to the Ebola virus, leading to CAF stripping them of the hosting rights.
READ ALSO: AFCON 2023: Osimhen Scores Twice As Nigeria Defeat Sierra Leone To Secure Spot
In a related development, Algeria withdrew its bid to host either the 2025 or 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Algerian Football Federation cited a new approach to its football development strategy as the reason for the withdrawal.
Ultimately, the Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania bid was approved by the CAF executive committee, marking the first time the tournament will be hosted in East Africa since Ethiopia held the finals in 1976.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe praised Morocco and stated that other competing countries withdrew their bids to support Morocco’s candidacy for the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco is bidding to host jointly with Spain and Portugal.
While Morocco boasts numerous world-class stadiums, Kenya and Tanzania have only one international-standard venue each, and Uganda has none, necessitating neutral venues for their 2023 Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Motsepe highlighted the importance of the decision to promote infrastructure development and stadiums, particularly in countries where such facilities are lacking.
Ivory Coast will host the 2023 Cup of Nations, rescheduled to January and February 2024 due to the rainy season in West Africa, even though it falls during the European club season.
Motsepe emphasized that avoiding potential weather disruptions was the priority.