Nigeria/Benin bid in the forefront as CAF picks AFCON 2025 and 2027 host nations

The joint bid by Nigeria and neighbours Republic of Benin has loomed to the forefront within the race for internet hosting of the thirty sixth version of Africa Cup of Nations in 2027, with the Government Committee of the Confederation of African Soccer to vote on the bids for each 2025 and 2027 in Cairo on Wednesday. The assembly will happen a Cairo Marriott Lodge in Zamalek space of downtown Cairo.

With Morocco just about assured the honour for the 2025 finals, the joint bid by Nigeria and Republic of Benin is in contest with Senegal, Egypt, Botswana and a tripartite association of Uganda/Kenya/Tanzania for the 2027 occasion.

Algeria was a robust candidate for the 2027 occasion till the North African nation withdrew from the race on Tuesday morning.

Guinea was initially chosen to host the 2025 finals, on the identical day that Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire got the mandates for the 2021 and 2023 editions respectively. However the Guineans fell behind badly within the preparations with infrastructure and different services unattended to. A brand new army authorities in place has not helped the nation’s case, and CAF merely withdrew the internet hosting proper from that nation.

Nigeria has put ahead the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja; Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt; Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo; Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos; Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna; Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba; Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin Metropolis and; Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano. Within the Republic of Benin, the Stade Mathieu Kerekou in Cotonou and the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo are listed.

Nigeria hosted and gained the twelfth version of the AFCON in 1980 after which co-hosted the twenty second finals with Ghana in 2000.

On Tuesday night time, Nigeria’s contingent of Minister of Sports activities Improvement, John Owan Enoh; Everlasting Secretary within the Ministry, Ismaila Abubakar; President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau; Common Secretary of NFF, Mohammed Sanusi and; Mission Coordinator, Mainasara Illo arrived in Cairo. They’ve been joined by Nigeria’s FIFA Council Member and Member of the CAF Government Committee, Amaju Melvin Pinnick.

Within the corridors of CAF’s headquarters in sixth October Metropolis, exterior Cairo, the Nigeria/Benin Republic bid is being strongly talked about, with references to 2 of Africa’s FIFA Council Members and CAF Government Committee Members, Amaju Melvin Pinnick (former President of NFF) and Mathurin De Chacus, who’s the sitting President of Federation Beninoise de Soccer.

On Wednesday, earlier than the vote is taken by the CAF Government Committee, after it might have mentioned the report of the Unbiased Evaluation Committee, the bidding nations may have 10 minutes to make a presentation, with the Nigeria/Benin case to be canvassed by veteran broadcaster and skilled bid campaigner, Mainasara Illo. The presentation

Illo, who was deputy chief organizer of the eighth All-Africa Video games that Nigeria hosted in 2003, and chief organizer of the FIFA U17 World Cup additionally hosted by Nigeria in 2009, led a bid coordinating staff that has taken two completely different CAF inspection groups spherical Nigeria’s stadia infrastructure and different services, and can make a case that could be a hybrid of sturdy oratory attraction and multi-media presentation.

The bid’s theme is pegged on the way it will spur better collaboration between each nations within the areas of safety and commerce, foster seamless transportation between each nations and by extension the West African area, and be an elixir for the event and enchancment of essential infrastructure within the two nations.

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