2, December 2018
CAF president offers Biya regime chance to host 2021 Nations Cup 0
Just a few hours after stripping Cameroon of the rights to host the 2019 African Nations Cup, CAF president Ahmad Ahmad wrote to the country’s president Paul Biya proposing that it hosts the 2021 edition, Cameroonian media outlets reported on Saturday.
The CAF executive committee snubbed Cameroon on Friday, citing serious delays with its preparations in the midst of a violent separatist rebellion near two of the venues that are set to host the Nations Cup games.
“I would like, Mister President, to assure you, that seeing the efforts that you have already accomplished and in light of the importance of your personnel implication, CAF and its executive committee would be honored if Cameroon accepts to host the 2021 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations,” Ahmad reportedly said in a letter addressed to Biya and that was published by several Cameroonian media outlets.
The CAF chief also added that he believes that the 2021 tournament will allow Cameroon to “complete in comfort and safety, all the projects planned for this event.”
This offer comes as a consolation for the country that was stunned by the CAF decision, especially after Ahmad’s visit to Cameroon in October where he told Biya in front of reporters that “CAF has no Plan B, nor have we ever considered taking the Nations Cup away from Cameroon.”
The tournament is set to start in June. CAF have announced that a new bidding process will be opened and countries have until the end of December to submit bids.
Source: ahramonline
4, December 2018
Biya and CPDM gang blamed for Africa Cup of Nations mess 0
There has been an outburst of reactions from football fans and analysts in Cameroon since the Confederation of African Football (Caf) officially announced it has stripped the five times African champions of the hosting rights for the 2019 African Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Caf said on Friday that Cameroon has not met a number compliance conditions and could not host he tournament.
While some fans suspect that some North African countries that were interested in hosting the tournament played behind the scenes to deprive Cameroon of the hosting right, others blame the lackluster attitude at which the government has been preparing for the game.
“The Caf decision is not a surprise as Morocco has been scheming to ensure the hosting rights are withdrawn from Cameroon in their favour,” said Ernest Nfor, a football fan, in Yaounde.
Yet, sports analyst Francis Ajumane said he saw it coming from the various Caf inspection missions that came to Cameroon. “Anthony Baffoe, Amaju Pinnick and Daany Jordan were in Cameroon months ago and I could tell from their body language all was not well despite their assurances to the press,” Ajumane said.
“It became evident when Caf postponed its decision back at the end of September due to Cameroon’s Presidential election.”
Ajumane admits that Cameroon was lagging behind in terms of construction at the various sites and tried to use diplomacy by bringing the Caf president to the country; which diplomacy apparently failed.
Sports journalist and editor-in-chief of This is Sports magazine, Franklin Sone Bayen said the socio-political climate in Cameroon is not conducive enough for the continental soccer jamboree to be staged.
“The Afcon withdrawal is shocking without measure for socio-political and socioeconomic reasons, though it should have been expected because Cameroon was falling short in infrastructure, and the sociopolitical climate is not conducive,” he said.
“It is a big blow to football fans though opponents of the president are happy because they consider that Afcon would have distracted attention from the Anglophone crisis and acrimony from recent electoral flaws,” Bayen said further.
Source: Daily Nation