CAF NAMES FUTURE NATIONS CUP HOSTS

Cameroon and Ivory Coast were
handed the right to hold future
African Nations Cup finals as the
Confederation of African Football
sprung a surprise on Saturday and
also named Guinea to host the continental
championship.

Five countries were bidding for the 2019 and 2021
finals with Cameroon chosen for 2019 and Ivory
Coast for 2021 in a vote of the organisation's
executive committee.

CAF also decided to give Guinea the 2023 edition.

Cameroon were previous hosts in 1972 and the
Ivorians in 1984 – when the Nations Cup was half
the size of its current 16 team format – but Guinea
have never before hosted the event.

Algeria and Zambia missed out but it is expected
Algeria might be asked to take over from Libya as
hosts of the 2017 event.

Libya last month stepped down as hosts because of
the on-going civil strife in the north African country.

That decision is expected later in the year.

Cameroon's selection is a symbolic move as it will
likely coincide with the departure from office of
CAF's long-standing president Issa Hayatou, who is
from the central African country.

Cameroon's bid was centred around four venues in
Bafoussam, Douala, Garoua and Yaounde. The
Ivorians plan to use five cities – Abidjan, Bouake,
Korhogo, San Pedro and the capital Yamoussoukro.

Guinea's bid promised to use Conakry, Kankan,
Labe and Nzerekore as venues. Ironically the
country is currently banned from hosting any
international football by CAF because of the Ebola
virus outbreak.

The next Nations Cup finals will be held in Morocco
from January 17-February 8 next year.