Six Nations Bid to Host 2019 Afcon

A total of six countries are bidding to the host the 2019 African Nations Cup finals but the Confederation of African Football are refusing to name them.

“We have had expression of interests but we have no yet began the process for the bidding candidates, so we cannot release any names,” said CAF general secretary Hicham El Amrani.

His statement to comes just days after the Democratic Republic of Congo made public their desire to host the event for the first time.

But Algeria, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria and Zambia are the others have already made public their intentions.

The Congolese bid was announced in midweek by the country’s sports minister Baudouin Banza Mukalay Nsungu.

“The DR Congo is an applicant for the candidates (to host) the 2019 Afcon tournament,” Banza Mukalay said.

“I put the dossier into the hands of the Fecofa (Congolese Football Federation), which has already passed it onto CAF (the Confederation of African Football). We await the specifications, which we will fill calmly,” added the sports minister.

The competition would effectively be held at two venues, in the Congolese capital Kinshasa and the southeastern city of Lubumbashi.

However, Banza Mukalay also said that a stadium in the western city of Matadi would also be ready for the 2019 showpiece, while Kisangani could also stage matches.

Nigeria had wanted to be a substitute for Libya for the 2013 edition but South Africa did the deal ahead of therm.

Nigerian Football Federation president Aminu Maiguri said his country wanted to take on another Nations Cup – having co-hosted with Ghana in 2000 and been solo hosts in 1980.

“We want Nigeria to host because we are capable – we did it before and we want to do it better next time round.”

Kenya sports minister Ababu Namwamba said they wanted both the 2015 African U-17 Championship as a test event to be followed by the 2019 Nations Cup.

Kenya were appointed to host the 1996 event but pulled out and were replaced by South Africa.