On 10 February, the Executive Committee of the African Football Confederation will announce the host of CAN 2025, which was initially entrusted to Guinea.
To date, five countries have submitted an official bid: Algeria, Morocco, Zambia, and Nigeria-Benin’s joint bid. Barring any last-minute bids, our sources within the body led by Patrice Word and various different African federations suggest that a trend is emerging.
Alternatives
According to our sources, CAN 2025 is highly likely to take place in North Africa, either in Morocco or Algeria. Said a source, “CAN 2022 and 2024 took place in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, respectively; therefore, CAF wishes to alternate by organising the next competition in North Africa, even if it means choosing another sub-Saharan country in 2027.”
The Nigerian Federation, chaired by Amaju Pinnick, is well-aware of CAF’s interest in a Maghreb country, and Senegal, who once expressed interest in a joint bid with another country, has since resigned itself to the inevitable.
The climate agenda
Infrastructure has generally played a significant role in hosting major sporting events, and this is no different with CAN 2025. Algeria and Morocco have demonstrated, in recent times a capable ability to accommodate a 24-team tournament.
Climate has a role to play as well, as certain sub-Saharan countries have many unfavourable climatic conditions between the summer months of June and July, forcing the Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire editions to be held in January and February.
Additionally, CAF does not wish to have conflicts with European/UEFA clubs, who would see many of their best players go on international duty for several weeks. Our sources recognise the potential issue with planned CAN 2025 dates, as this would undoubtedly come into play.
There is also the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, another tournament for CAF to be concerned about.
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