2013 Nations Cup host: CAF’s decision shocks Nigeria

Posted by admin Headlines, Soccer, Sports Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Nigeria has been left ‘deeply disappointed’ after CAF poked the country in the eye by handing South Africa the rights to host the 2013 Africa Nations Cup tournament. On Tuesday, CAF’s Executive Committee decided to approve an arrangement between South Africa, host of the 2017 tournament, and Libya, where the North Africans would swap places with South Africa.
Libya is unable to host the tournament as a result of the ongoing security issues in the country.

Nigeria, designated in 2006 as standby host for three Africa Nations Cup tournaments between 2010 and 2014 (now pushed back to 2013), was completely ignored. Nigeria Football Federation (NFF)’s General Secretary, Musa Amadu, was incensed, especially after Nigeria wrote to CAF last month when news of the arrangement first came out, to remind CAF of the existing decision.

“We are deeply disappointed at this decision by CAF,” Amadu said. “It is total disrespect to Nigeria.
“When we heard about this so-called arrangement last month, we wrote to CAF reminding them that they had made us standby hosts, and if Libya were unable to host, then it should be offered to us first.
“The Secretary General assured us at the time that no decision had been reached, and he would pass the letter on to the Executive Committee.

“But the Executive Committee is now telling us that our letter came late. The question is, did we even need to write to them to remind them of a decision that the same Executive Committee took?”
The resolutions of the CAF Executive Committee on September 6, 2006 were:

– that Angola be granted the hosting rights to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations; that the bid of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon be granted, but pushed forward, such that they can jointly host the 2012 edition of the competition; in the same vein, Libya was called upon to host the 2014 edition of the competition (now put back to 2013, following a CAF resolution in 2010);

– that Nigeria be given full support by CAF, towards the bidding and hosting of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2009; – also that Nigeria be prepared as a standby host, in the event of any of the three aforementioned hosts not being able to host the tournament.

It is the second time in two months that CAF would snub Nigeria. Last month, the continental body picked Egypt to host the CAF Under-23 Olympic qualifying tournament, despite the NFF showing strong interest.

The situation has left Amadu to suggest that CAF might be punishing Nigeria over Amos Adamu.
“We don’t know why they are treating us with so much disrespect. Maybe it is because Dr Adamu is no longer there.”

Other decisions of CAF were to award the hosting rights of the 2014 African Women Championships to Namibia, the 2015 and 2017 Under-17 Championships to Niger and Madagascar respectively, and the 2015 Under Championships to Senegal.

-Sunwp_posts