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SA could host 2013 Afcon
Posted: 2011-05-03 14:43
South Africa's chances of being called upon to act as an emergency host for the 2013 African Nations Cup have been given a major boost by the successful hosting of the African Youth Championship in Soweto over the last two weeks.
Confederation of African Football officials said there was an increasing likelihood South Africa might be asked to step in again to replace Libya as they did for the Under-20 event.
Libya's hosting of the 2013 Nations Cup is under threat because of the civil war in the North African country which is battering the country's infrastructure.
The next Nations Cup will be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year but after that it will switch from every even year to every odd year.
Libya host the 2013 event, followed by Morocco in 2015 and South Africa in 2017.
CAF executive committee member Almamy Kabele Camara said there would be no immediate decision on future of the 2013 Nations Cup in Libya but his organisation would continue to monitor the situation.
They would need to make a decision at least by January leaving just a year to prepare. If they delay it any longer, then South Africa's chances increase as the country is the only one that can offer ready-made facilities.
This is a legacy of last year's hosting of the World Cup and would make it relatively simple for South Africa to host the 16-team, three-week event.
African Youth Championship tournament director Russell Paul had just two weeks to prepare the event at the Dobsonville Stadium and has been roundly praised for the job he did almost single handedly.
South Africa organised the 1996 Nations Cup after just 11 months' notice after Kenya pulled out of the hosting of the event. Bafana Bafana went on to win the title on home soil.
