By Samuel Opio
South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan has confirmed that the Confederation of African Football wants South Africa to step in as hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations 2019, at short notice, according to a report on South Africa’s Times Live.
CAF stripped Cameroon of the AFCON 2019 hosting rights at the weekend due to delays in preparing for the continental showpiece, and the continental football governing body is now seemingly now eyeing South Africa as a replacement.
Jordaan told the SAFA AGM in Sandton on Sunday that the continental football governing body has asked South Africa to seriously consider taking over as AFCON 2019 hosts.
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The SAFA president returned to South Africa on Sunday morning after attending CAF’s Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting in Accra‚ Ghana, where the decision to dump Cameroon was taken.
The report also revealed that SAFA would meet the South African government first before making a decision on whether to accede to the request.
South Africa last staged the Cup of Nations in 2013 which was won by Nigeria.
The 2019 event is scheduled for June 15 to July 13, a change from its traditional January-February slot and it will be the first to feature 24 teams — up from 16 at the 2017 edition in Gabon.
