By Adedapo Adesanya
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has re-opened the bidding process for the hosting rights of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The decision was made a week after stripping Guinea of the right to host the 2025 AFCON after the country formally stated that it was not ready to host the competition.
Guinea’s inability to host the competition was due to its infrastructural facilities not being ready enough to host the 24-team tournament.
Earlier this month, CAF President, Mr Patrice Motsepe, travelled to Conakry for discussions with the interim president, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, but said the decision dated back to July.
He said they would ask the CAF for fresh bids because Guinea will not be ready to host the event in 2025.
CAF today sent a notice to the Members of Associations to convey their interest in hosting the 2025 African Cup of Nations as well as the process that will be followed in the selection of the host country or countries.
In March, Colonel Doumbouya appointed a new organising committee, ousting the previous team, one of whose members publicly expressed doubts about the project’s feasibility. He issued a decree declaring the organisation of the 2025 CAN “of national interest and priority”.
It is not the first time a country has been stripped of hosting AFCON hosting rights.
Cameroon was stripped of the right to host the 2019 tournament because they weren’t considered ready but they were awarded the 2021 tournament – which took place earlier this year because of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
AFCON 2025 Bid Timeline
The AFCON 2025 Bidding Process Timeline would be done from November 11, 2022, till February 10, 2023.
November 11, 2022- Deadline for Submission of Interest Declaration form.
November 16, 2022- Deadline for sending hosting documents to Member Associations that have declared interest by CAF.
December 16, 2022- Deadline for submission of the final bid, including all bidding and hosting documents.
January 05-23, 2023- Inspection visits by CAF
February 10, 2023- Appointment of Host Country by CAF Executive committee.
One-time champions (2015) Cote d’Ivoire will host the next edition of the AFCON in 2023.
Dipo Olowookere