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Xolisani Gwesela

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE will bid to host the 2017 African Nations Cup finals following the withdrawal of unstable Libya on Friday last week, Chronicle Sport can exclusively reveal. The Libyan Football Federation revealed in a meeting with Caf president Issa Hayatou that owing to the unstable security situation in their country, they would not be able to host the Afcon in 2017.

The meeting took place on August 22, 2014 at the Caf headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
Consequently, the secretary-general of Caf, Hicham El Amrani, dispatched a circular on August 23, 2014 to all 54 member associations informing them of the decision and opening bids for the hosting of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

“The designation of the host for this competition will be made according to the statutory provisions of Caf, especially in conformity with articles 27 to 47 of the Regulations Governing the Application of Caf Statutes,” Caf said.

“The Caf headquarters in Cairo will receive applications until Tuesday, September 30, 2014. In addition to the government guarantee, and considering the limited time left for the organisation of the 2017 edition, the Caf Executive Committee will select a host country whose dossier guarantees that accommodation, transportation and hotel facilities, as well as training sites and stadiums already exist.

“The designation of the host country will be made at a meeting of the Executive Committee in 2015”.
The executive committee meeting has tentatively been set for April 2015.

“What can stop us from hosting the tournament? We have previously hosted a successful Cosafa tournament, the All-Africa Games and in December 15 countries will be here for the African Union Region Five Under-20 Games,” said the Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela in an interview with this publication yesterday.

He said that they would remain guided by the government, whose guarantee is pivotal in the bid becoming successful.
“We first need to have a guarantee by the government but from a technical and infrastructural point of view, Zifa is ready,” said Gwesela.
Soon, Gwesela said, Zifa would be approaching the government for the guarantee.

The latest bid interest comes exactly 14 years after Zifa’s bid to play host to the 2000 Nations Cup finals was taken away due to lack of preparedness by a then Leo Mugabe-led association as well as lack of government guarantees.

The bi-annual football extravaganza was eventually co-hosted by African football powerhouses Ghana and Nigeria.
With Luveve and White City Stadiums undergoing massive refurbishments to meet international standards ahead of the Region Five Under-20 Games, Harare and Bulawayo could be the two host cities if the country’s bid is successful with the other options being Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane and Hwange’s Colliery Stadium.