Share

CAF confident Egypt will be 'ready' for Cup of Nations

Alexandria - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Tuesday that it is confident emergency host country Egypt will be "ready" to stage this year's Africa Cup of Nations despite limited preparation time.

CAF has been inspecting various infrastructure and facilities across the country.

Egypt was awarded the hosting rights in January, following the decision to strip Cameroon of the finals due to delays in preparation.

"Egypt will be ready," CAF communications director Nathalie Rabe told AFP at Alexandria Stadium. "We have plans for renovations, but in any case, the infrastructure is there."

It will be the fourth time that Egypt has hosted the tournament, while Cameroon will hold the 2021 event instead.

A CAF delegation has visited stadiums in Cairo, Suez, Ismailia, Port Said and Alexandria, with organisers yet to decide on the host stadia.

"All the infrastructures we visited are good. We have a choice," said CAF competition director Samson Adamu.

Rabe also played down any security concerns, saying that "arrangements will be made".

"We are confident, we know that it will be done and that all stadia will be equipped with security rooms," she added.

Since the 2011 Egyptian revolution, the country's football leagues have been plagued by violence.

The 2019 Cup of Nations, which is due to run from June 21 until July 19, will be the first to feature 24 countries since the decision to expand from 16 teams.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1816 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1775 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1083 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 460 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 253 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE