CAN 2025: which countries to organize it despite short deadlines?

The trophy awarded to the winner of the African Cup of Nations football.

AFP PHOTO / ISSOUF SANOGO

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

5 mins

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has launched a call for candidates to organize the 35th African Cup of Nations for men (CAN 2025), after having withdrawn this CAN 2025 from Guinea.

Which countries are likely to host such a tournament three years from the event?

Overview.

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South Africa, a safe bet?

Thanks to the ten stadiums of the

, its transport network, its tourist tradition and its logistical capacities, South Africa could host a final phase in June/July 2025 (winter in southern Africa) or in January/February 2025 or 2026.

Two problems, however.

One, the South African Federation (Safa) wants to run for the organization of the 2027 Women's World Cup, a project driven by the excellent results of the Banyana Banyana but difficult to reconcile with the cost and complications of the

.

Two, the South African government had not supported SAFA's desire to organize

, nor that of hosting the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Will the South African government want the 35th African Cup after having already received

and

without much enthusiasm ?

Algeria, in full demonstration?

Algeria is under the spotlight.

After the globally acclaimed

, the country is preparing to host the first 18-team African Nations Championship (

).

An additional test on its ability to organize a final phase of a big football tournament.

It has the stadiums for, between those of Algiers (5-July, Baraki), Blida (Mustapha Tchaker), Oran (Olympique and Ahmed Zabana), Constantine (Mohamed Hamlaoui) and Annaba (19-May -1956), sometimes subject to some serious repairs.

Algeria has also not hosted this competition since 1990 and the desire is there.

" 

 ", has already promised the Minister of Sports Abderrazak Sebgag.

" 

 ", added the president of the CAF, Patrice Motsepe.

A CAF where the Algerians however have little weight, which had partly prevented them from obtaining the

, 2019 and

...

Morocco, omnipresent?

After organizing the

, the 2019 African Games, the 2020 futsal CAN, the 2022 women's CAN - and while waiting for the 2023 under-23 CAN and the 2024 women's CAN - will Morocco change gear? ?

The Cherifian Kingdom, like South Africa, meets almost all the criteria to host CAN 2025. Not to mention its enormous political weight at CAF and in the world of African sport in general.

It remains to be seen whether the Cherifian Kingdom does not have higher ambitions than a final phase of the African Cup?

After having unsuccessfully applied for the organization of the 2026 World Cup, Moroccans are indeed tempted to seek allies to organize that of 2030. Not to mention a possible candidacy for the organization of the 2027 Women's World Cup.

Tunisia, surprise candidate?

Like the other Maghreb countries and Egypt, Tunisia seems to have the infrastructure required to replace Guinea in less than 3 years.

And like its North African neighbors, this country can host the competition in June / July, which would avoid CAF major conflicts with European football players, reluctant to let players compete in a CAN in January / February.

The Tunisians, however, have not hosted a major CAF competition since CAN 2004 won at home and have not expressed their intentions to present themselves.

Allied countries?

In recent years, several countries have shown their desire to be the scene of CAN 2025, 2027 or 2029: Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, in particular.

Countries which, alone, do not seem able to have all the stadiums and other necessary facilities in three years.

Some, like Amaju Pinnick, now a former Nigerian football boss, have understood this well.

In July 2022, the former president of the NFF thus announced the wish of Benin and Nigeria to join forces.

As early as 2019, the Senegalese football boss had offered to co-organize this 35th edition with Guinea, Gambia and Mauritania.

A project to which some Guineans have also clung to try to save their CAN.

Finally, what about the two duos that came together to win CAN 2027, Botswana and Namibia on one side and Uganda and Tanzania on the other?

Will they shake up their plans for 2025?

A recent organizer?

For 2015, Equatorial Guinea had saved CAF in extremis, after a showdown between the African Confederation and Morocco.

The Equatorial Guineans had however co-organized with the Gabonese the CAN barely three years earlier.

And for 2017, Gabon had been preferred to other candidates to replace a Libya at war.

Is it conceivable that Egypt (CAN 2019) or Cameroon (CAN 2021) help out in turn?

The two countries obviously retain what it takes to.

But they seem to have turned the page and have other plans.

Cameroonians will, for example, host the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2027.

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