CAF president Ahmad Ahmad says his organisation should not be blamed if a country is stripped of Africa Cup of Nations hosting rights, and instead the hosts should be held liable for any potential setback.
Cameroon will know if they will remain as 2019 AFCON tournament hosts when CAF congress meet next week in Egypt.
The CAF boss stated that his organisation should not be blamed for any decision on Cameroon, whose fate will be discussed in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El Sheikh.
“Let CAF meet at the end of the month, and you will hear, by our means of communication, what is the position of CAF in relation to that,” Ahmad was quoted as saying by French radio station RFI.
“There will be a decision or there will be an ultimatum. We need to meet together, with the members of the (Executive) Committee.
“What I can tell you is that it is not CAF that withdraws AFCON from one country or another. It is the country that is not ready and that is (what) withdraws itself. CAF simply puts a specification.
“You are ready, we are organising, you are not ready, it means that you are withdrawing yourself from this organisation.
“The reality is that it is the country that wants or does not want. And the reproach must go to the country, not to CAF.”
The central African country’s capacity to successfully stage an expanded 24-team tournament has come under scrutiny. They were initially handed rights to organise the tournament in 2014 when it comprised of just 16.
There’s been mixed opinions on whether Cameroon could lose hosting rights, but last month Ahmad gave assurances that there was no plan B.
CAF vice president Amaju Pinnick also recentlystated that the tournament will not be taken away from Cameroon.
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COMMENTS
I smell a rat. It looks like the hosting right may be taken away from Cameroon. If they were initially giving the right to host the tournament when it was supposed to be 16 teams, and now increased to 24. Cameroon may not be ready to accommodate 24 teams. The upheaval at some parts of the country is not encouraging.
For me a tournament of this magnitude with 24 countries for the first time should be given to a country that already boast of the adequate infrastructures to implement the successful host of a major tournament. However, if Cameroon can demonstrate adequate readiness to host the largest AFCON in African history. Then they deserve the hosting right.
Ahmad can’t wait to hand 2019 Afcon hosting rights to Morroco. But I’ll kind of like that as I think the North African country has the facilities and experience to host a more spectacular event.
Hayatou just gifted Cameroun Afcon 2019 as parting gift to his home country and Ahmad, Pinnick and the rest of the CAF exec team are trying to correct that farce in a systematic and diplomatic way. I think they shouldn’t hesitate. They took CHAN away from Kenya, and they should have courage to do same to Cameroun. I suspect Awcon 2019 (Women Nations cup) may also be taken away from Ghana, especially now that they have lost their seat on the CAF exec board.
_ What a difference a month makes _
As recently as last month, a delegation that went to Cameroon, headed by Amaju Pinnick, held that ‘the delegation was satisfied by what they saw in Cameroon.’ according to The Guardian online newspaper which further quoted an anonymous source from the delegation as saying:
“Cameroun imported two built up stadia and assembled them for the competition. It is an amazing feat, which shows how much premium the government is paying to the hosting of a successful competition.
The delegation met with the government of Cameroon and got assurances that the facilities would be ready towards the end of the year. Apart from that, the people are enthusiastic about the competition and are ready to do anything to get everything right,” he said.
Fast-forward one month later and Caf are now saying :”…. you are not ready, it means that you are withdrawing yourself from this organisation.”
Hmmm!
Like Ayphyillydegreat said above, ‘I smell a rat’.