Deadline set for bids to host 2025 Afcon

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has set 11 November as the deadline for countries to declare interest in staging the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

A new host must be found after Guinea was stripped of rights because of concerns over infrastructure and facilities.

Caf president Patrice Motsepe while in the Guinean capital Conakry early this month announced that the 24-team tournament will be removed because of a lack of suitably advancing infrastructure and facilities.

“The 2025 Nations Cup allocated to Guinea will not take place there because we’re not yet ready in Guinea,” said Motsepe in a news conference after meeting the leadership of Guinea’s transitional government.

The continent’s governing body expects finalised bids, including documents, proposed host cities and government guarantees, to reach its Cairo headquarters by 16 December.

Caf inspection teams will tour bidding countries from 5 to 25 January next year in its quest to find a suitable replacement for Guinea.

Findings from the inspections will be submitted to the 24-member Caf executive committee, which will announce the successful country or co-hosts to stage the 2025 finals on 10 February.

A top Caf official told BBC Sport Africa that the body wants to avoid the embarrassment of awarding the event to countries who are “unable to raise good infrastructure and hospitality to show to the rest of the world”.

Continent’s showpiece

Cameroon was the venue for the 2021 Nations Cup earlier this year while Ivory Coast is set to host the 2023 finals, which will be played in early 2024.

Some countries have already shown interest in bidding for the 35th edition of the continent’s showpiece, but they are yet to make official declarations.

Morocco, which hosted this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in July, intends to apply to host the 2025 men’s finals, a source within the Royal Moroccan Football Federation indicated.

Nigeria’s early interest to step in and co-host with Benin has gone quiet since Amaju Pinnick’s exit as president of the country’s football body (NFF).

Pinnick had announced in July that he had informed Caf executives of Nigeria’s interest to co-host the 2025 tournament with Benin.

Bids from Algeria, South Africa and Senegal have only been speculative, although public interest is overwhelmingly in favour of the latter staging the competition.

BBC Sport Africa understands the Tunisia Football Federation (FTF) was seeking government assurance before the 1994 and 2004 host nation can join in the race.          -BBC