TheCable

Amaju Pinnick, president of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), says the most qualified country between Egypt and South Africa will be chosen to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Pinnick, who is also CAF first vice-president, said his committee has analysed the strengths of both nations and will advise CAF on the better option ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of the executive committee.

“The AFCON committee of which I am the chairman has done a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) on both bidding countries and we will meet on the sideline of the CAF football awards to finally decide on the best option and present same to CAF before Wednesday’s meeting,” Pinnick said.

“The interest of African football is paramount in this. It is important that we get this right so that the selected country can quickly put structures in place for the championship which is only about five months away.”

CAF had in November 2018 stripped Cameroon of the right to host the 2019 AFCON as a result of delays in construction of stadia and security threats.

Egypt and South Africa have different strengths with regards to their individual bids to host the tournament.

The 2019 edition will be the first to entertain 24 teams.

What to know about the bidding nations

South Africa

South Africa hosted and won the 1996 tournament that was taken away from Kenya over ill-preparedness, and also hosted the 2013 edition (that Nigeria won) after civil strife broke out in designated host nation, Libya, in 2011.

In 2010, South Africa became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup, a 30-day extravaganza that was widely seen as a success. A year earlier, the nation also hosted the FIFA Confederations Cup.

Egypt

Egypt has hosted the continent’s top football tourney three times, including hosting and winning the 1986 and 2006 finals. The country also hosted the U17 World Cup in 1997 and the U20 World Cup in 2009.