CAN 2025: after the withdrawal of Guinea, the race for organization is open
The president of the African Football Confederation, Patrice Motsepe, during a press conference given in Algiers, Algeria, on October 1, 2022. AFP - -
Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow
3 mins
During a press conference given in Algiers on Saturday October 1, Patrice Motsepe, the president of CAF, announced that he did not want "
no country
" to be "
favoured
" in the awarding of the organization of CAN 2025, the day after Guinea's withdrawal.
There would be a dozen potential candidates.
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On the evening of Friday, September 30, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) formalized news that many football observers in Africa were expecting:
the organization of the 2025 African Cup of Nations has been withdrawn from Guinea
, far too late in the specifications for such an event.
Patrice Motsepe was in Conakry, to meet with the Guinean authorities, a few hours before this formalization.
On Saturday, the CAF President traveled to Algiers, Algeria, and spoke in front of the microphones, on the sidelines of the CHAN 2023 draw. He repeated that the Guinean State was not able to host, in good conditions, the continental tournament for the first time in its history.
"
Guinea was not ready
," insisted the South African.
It now remains to be seen which country will organize the 35th CAN, after Cameroon (January-February 2022) and Côte d'Ivoire (early 2024).
The rumors are rife.
"
Ten countries already have the ambition to apply for CAN 2025
," said Patrice Motsepe, a bit evasive.
But the CAF president wanted to dot the i's.
“
I can assure you that there is no country in Africa that is going to be favored or that can put pressure on another country.
This will not happen
”, hammered the leader, eager to “
build a process of being fair, equitable and treating everyone on an equal footing
”.
Patrice Motsepe wants to “
give all countries a chance
”.
The Maghreb is thinking about it, Senegal encouraged to get started
Morocco, which has not organized the CAN since the 1988 edition, acts as a very serious contender.
A federation official said on Saturday, October 1, that his country was “
considering
” a candidacy.
Since 2004 and the edition in Tunisia, the Maghreb has no longer hosted the CAN.
Asked about a possible Algerian candidacy (the country had organized the 1990 edition), Patrice Motsepe assured "
to take very seriously what the population in Algeria thinks of CAF, just like what each of the African countries thinks of us
" .
As for Senegal,
winner of the last AFCON in Cameroon
, the CAF president recalled that he had organized
the 1992 edition "
with great success ". "
I encourage Senegal in partnership with other countries and I encourage each of the 54 countries
” members of CAF, he added.
Patrice Motsepe, however, wants to be clear on the level of requirement required to organize a CAN: “
We are not going to choose a country that is not at an adequate level to meet our quality standards.
»
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