George Aluo
The 1st Vice President of the Confederation of African Football, who is also the President of AFCON Organizing Committee, Nigeria’s Amaju Melvin Pinnick has assured that the continental football–ruling body is doing everything within its power to ensure that the 32nd Africa Cup finals holding in Egypt this summer is a huge success.
Speaking in Lagos on Monday, Pinnick, who is also President of the Nigeria Football Federation, said CAF is aware of the apprehension of the African football stakeholders, and is putting measures in place to tackle those fears and guarantee a seamless continental houseparty that everyone would be proud of.
“CAF is not unmindful of the reservations being harboured in some quarters, and feelings of anxiety being expressed in several fora by some individuals and groups. What is important is that we are taking note of all these and putting measures in place to tackle these genuine fears.
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“At the end of the day, football would be the winner. We are very positive that those measures we have put in place and those we have lined up will culminate in an occasion that every African would be proud of, and which will leave the average football follower elsewhere enthralled.”
There has been widespread anxiety within the African football community over the hosting of the first –ever 24 –nation AFCON, following CAF’s decision to strip Cameroon of the hosting right at the end of November last year, with new host Egypt announced only early this month.
On Saturday, CAF’s Emergency Committee announced that the draw ceremony for the championship, scheduled for 21st June – 19th July in eight Egyptian venues, would hold in Cairo on 12th April. That is exactly 10 weeks to the opening match of the championship.
In previous years and decades, host nations of Africa’s flagship tournament had been privileged to have more time to prepare for the various obligations involved in staging the competition, with the exception of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon (the last two host nations) who had few months to step in after originally –designated hosts balked late in the day.
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“We are assured that Egypt would be ready and would put up a good show. CAF is also monitoring preparations on all fronts to ensure that nothing goes wrong.”
Nigeria’s Super Eagles, three –time champions, have already booked their place at the 24 –nation fiesta.
DOWN THE AFCON HISTORY LANE
1957: Three participating countries, hosted by Sudan, won by Egypt
1959: Three participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by Egypt
1962: Four participating countries, hosted by Ethiopia, won by Ethiopia
1963: Six participating countries, hosted by Ghana, won by Ghana
1965: Six participating countries, hosted by Tunisia, won by Ghana
1968: Eight participating countries, hosted by Ethiopia, won by Congo Kinshasa (now DR Congo)
1970: Eight participating countries, hosted by Sudan, won by Sudan
1972: Eight participating countries, hosted by Cameroon, won by Congo
1974: Eight participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by Zaire (now DR Congo)
1976: Eight participating countries, hosted by Ethiopia, won by Morocco
1978: Eight participating countries, hosted by Ghana, won by Ghana
1980: Eight participating countries, hosted by Nigeria, won by Nigeria
1982: Eight participating countries, hosted by Libya, won by Ghana
1984: Eight participating countries, hosted by Cote d’Ivoire, won by Cameroon
1986: Eight participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by Egypt
1988: Eight participating countries, hosted by Morocco, won by Cameroon
1990: Eight participating countries, hosted by Algeria, won by Algeria
1992: Twelve participating countries, hosted by Senegal, won by Cote d’Ivoire
1994: Twelve participating countries, hosted by Tunisia, won by Nigeria
1996: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by South Africa, won by South Africa
1998: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Burkina Faso, won by Egypt
2000: Sixteen participating countries, co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, won by Cameroon
2002: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Mali, won by Cameroon
2004: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Tunisia, won by Tunisia
2006: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by Egypt
2008: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Ghana, won by Egypt
2010: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Angola, won by Egypt
2012: Sixteen participating countries, co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, won by Zambia
2013: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by South Africa, won by Nigeria
2015: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Equatorial Guinea, won by Cote d’Ivoire
2017: Sixteen participating countries, hosted by Gabon, won by Cameroon
2019: Twenty-Four participating countries, hosted by Egypt, won by ?
