Ghana could lose out in race to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations as Algeria could hurriedly be named as the hosts of the competition as early as Saturday, GHANAsoccernet.com can exclusively reveal.
CAF, the continent’s football governing body, is considering the option of handing the hosting rights to Algeria on Saturday, insiders close to decision-makers at CAF have told Ghana’s leading football news outlet, www.ghanasoccernet.com
Algeria, who have recently been subjected to CAF inspection visits and have also applied to host the tournament in 2019 and 2021, could be handed the surprise chance of hosting the event in 2017.
This will come as a major blow for Ghana, who have expressed keen interest in hosting the event following the decision by Libya to withdraw from hosting the event.
CAF had opened applications until Tuesday, September 30, 2014, and was expected to announce the host in 2015 and this sparked Ghana to throw their hat into the ring.
Algeria, Cameroon, Guinea, the Ivory Coast and Zambia are competing to host one of either the 32nd or the 33rd editions of the continental championship.
The bidding process for the 2019 and 2021 finals – including inspection visits – had been completed by the time of Libya’s withdrawal, which prompted CAF to invite other candidates to step in but only on condition that prospective hosts already had facilities in place.
A deadline of the end of September was set for new 2017 bidders, but Algeria are among those who have expressed an interest and might be handed the hosting of the 2017 finals, leaving four bidders left to choose from for the 2019 and 2012 tournaments.
The decision, if taken by CAF, will quickly end Ghana’s hopes of hosting the competition as a strong field of ambassadors have been named to campaign for the bid.
Ghana co-hosted in 2000 with Nigeria after the games were taken away from Zimbabwe, and again in 2008, and this could be the third time.
On Monday, Ghana’s minister of Youth and Sports Mahama Ayariga appointed an 11-member committee to work towards securing the right to host the 2017 finals, replacing Libya, who withdrew due to the unstable security situation in the north African country.
Six former Black Stars players and a former world boxing champion have been appointed to serve as ambassadors during the bidding process.
The committee members include Ernest Thompson (Chairman), Abedi Ayew Pele, (vice-chairman), Fred Crentsil, Randy Abbey, Herbert Mensah (administrator and businessman), Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, Lepowura Nuru Deen Jawula, and Nana Sam Brew Butler (all former Ghana Football Association chairmen).
The rest are Alex Mould (CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation), Rex Danquah, a sports expert who will serve as the secretary and consultant to the committee, and Abdulai Yakubu, chief director in the ministry of Youth and Sports.
The ambassadors are ex-Black Stars players Stephen Leroy Appiah, Tony Yeboah, Tony Baffoe, Ibrahim Sunday, Abdul Razak, and former WBC Featherweight champion Azumah Nelson.
“The committee and ambassadors shall commence work immediately and stand dissolved after the Confederation of African Football pronounces on the hosting rights of the AFCON 2017 in January 2015,” Ayariga said in a statement.
The decision to hand the tournament to Algeria will be a blow to the officials who were all keen on serving their country by hosting the tournament.
