Why CAF may not announce 2025 AFCON host nation this Friday, February 10

Originally, this Friday 10 February would had seen the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announcing the host nation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, but the decision is most unlikely as the football governing body has quietly put off the announcement.

The 2025 edition will see the competition returning to its calendar of holding on odd year which had been adversely altered in the past 10 years.

No edition since that of 2013 in South Africa has held on schedule.

Guinea was  to be the original host but CAF stripped it of hosting rights after affirming its inadequacy of hosting preparations.

On 30 September 2022, CAF president Dr. Patrice Motsepe announced a new process was re-opened for a replacement host bidder. On the next day, 1 October, Morocco  announced its willingness to host . Four other bids from Algeria, South Africa, Zambia and Nigeria-Benin Republic were also submitted.

This was followed by the issuance of a bidding process timeline.

Bidding Process Timeline

• 11 November 2022: Deadline for submitting the Declaration of Interest form
• 16 November 2022: Deadline for CAF to send the hosting documents to Member Associations that have declared their interest.
• 16 December 2022: Deadline for Member Associations to submit their final bid, including all bidding and hosting documents (hosting agreement, host cities agreement, Government guarantees)
• 5–25 January 2023: Inspection visits
• 10 February 2023: Appointment of Host Country/Countries by the CAF Executive Committee

This Friday would have been the annoucement day. But credible information from difference sources, especially within the football governing body point to the fact that the decision will be put on hold for a while.

Most identify diplomatic and logistical issues as being the reasons. Morocco looks the front runner in the race to host the continental premier football competition on the scheduled year.

But owing to diplomatic row involving Morocco and neighbours, Algeria who scuttled Morocco’s title defence and attendance to the just concluded second tier continental tournament of African Nations Championships (CHAN), a cool off period was necessary.