CAN 2025: Benin, candidate for the organization, received the CAF inspection visit

Benin fans during the CAN 2019. (Illustrative image). OZAN KOSE / AFP

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2 min

After withdrawing Guinea's CAN 2025 organization, CAF is looking for a new host country. Last week, it began its inspection visits to the candidate countries: Zambia last week, then Morocco and Algeria before ending its tour this weekend in Nigeria and this Monday, April 03 in Benin. The two West African countries presenting a joint application.

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With our correspondent in Cotonou, Théophile Aza

The inspection started with the Charles de Gaulle stadium in Porto-Novo, renovated in 2009, but it must be brought up to standard. Then, she went to the stadium of General Mathieu Kérékou in Cotonou. As a reminder, this stadium is the largest sporting jewel in the country, completely renovated, which also hosted the final of the Confederation Cup in July 2021.

Innocent Atindehou, member of the Executive Committee of the Beninese Federation summarized the moments of the CAF visit. "At the Mathieu Kérékou general stadium, no reproach, everything is nickel. The Charles de Gaulle stadium in Porto-Novo, there, they made many remarks, many reproaches. We all know the state of this stage. We explained the government's project to them, we confirmed to them that it is already scheduled. They asked for the plans, which we will send them. We all know that we still have two years to think about improving the existing so that Benin is truly in line with CAF's requirements in terms of competitions like the CAN.

Two stadiums proposed

The emissaries of the Confederation of African Football have not planned to visit the hotel infrastructure of Benin for this bid to co-organize the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Benin offers two stadiums while its neighbor, Nigeria, offers six, evaluated by the Confederation of African Football for three days. As a reminder, Benin has never organized a final phase of a senior African Cup of Nations, while Nigeria had already hosted it twice: in 1980 and it had co-hosted it with Ghana in 2000. Sources close to the Beninese Football Federation, the delegation of the Confederation of African Football that left Cotonou on Monday evening made no statement.

► Read also: CAN 2024 Qualifying: Calendar, results, rankings

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• CAN 2025
• Benin
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