Africa Cup of Nations 2019: Biya regime’s fate will be decided today ⁰

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will decide the possibility of Cameroon’s hosting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday, when CAF discusses the country’s preparedness to organize the biannual championship.

CAF’s Business consultancy, Roland Berger, toured the country from January 12 to January 23 January to assess preparations, and the continental football body will on Wednesday discuss his findings.

“An intermediary report will be sent by the inspectors,” CAF Director of Communications, Junior Binyam, said. “That will be part of the Africa Cup of Nations committee agenda on 31 January.”

“The report of the Nations Cup committee meeting is part of the Executive Committee agenda on 1 February.”

CAF will hold a General Assembly the following day in Morocco, which is currently staging the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN).

There have been concerns about Cameroon’s preparations ever since CAF President Ahmad said last August that the country would “have work to convince” African football’s rulers that it was ready.

The tournament, which has expanded from 16 to 24 teams since Cameroon won the right to host in 2014, is set to be staged in five different cities – Bafoussam, Douala, Garoua, Limbe and Yaounde.

Having hosted games during the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of nations, both the stadium in Limbe and the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde are largely ready – as is the arena in Bafoussam, which opened in 2016.

The Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium is one of two arenas set to be used in the Cameroonian capital, with the other – the Paul Biya Stadium in the Olembe area – far from ready.

Source: The Independent