By Andrew Warshaw
August 25 – Libya has been forced to pull out of hosting the 2017 African Cup of Nations in the latest blow to strike at the heart of African football.
Already hit by a series of match-fixing scandals, an internal spat within the Nigerian federation and several cash issues, this is arguably the most damaging of recent crises in within African football with Libya unable to stage the continent’s most prestigious tournament as a result of security concerns.
With no ready-made candidates available to jump in for the 16-nation tournament that takes place in two and half years’ time – hosts normally get four years to prepare – organisers now have a major head-ache trying to find an alternative venue, given the necessary infrastructure required. The Confederation of African Football have given countries interested in taking over until the end of September – barely a month – to submit fresh bids.
Algeria, Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Zambia had already been shortlisted as possible hosts for the 2019 and 2021 tournaments and may consider bringing their plans forward two years. World Cup 2010 hosts South Africa, which stood in for Libya last year when the north African country had to withdraw too, may do so again.
“Considering the limited time left for the organization of the 2017 edition, the CAF executive committee will select a host country whose dossier guarantees that accommodation, transportation and hotels facilities, as well as training sites and stadiums, already exist,” the CAF said, citing Libya’s “unstable security situation”.
Africa’s top football body said it was informed that Libya was withdrawing at a meeting on Friday at CAF headquarters in Cairo. Libya’s sports minister and football federation head told CAF President Issa Hayatou they were backing out.
Libya has been wracked by violence ever since the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi in 2011, forcing it to give up hosting rights for the 2013 Nations Cup when it swapped with South Africa who were due to host in 2017, hoping the tension would ease. But in recent weeks the violence has escalated, with fighting in the capital, Tripoli, and the eastern city of Benghazi.
The country had been planning to build 11 stadiums at a cost of $314 million, including a showpiece new 60,000-seater stadium on the site of a former military camp in Tripoli. The government said last year it hoped the hosting of the Nations Cup would allow it to demonstrate that life had returned to normal. Former Spain coach Javier Clemente was hired to prepare the team for the tournament.
Libya also delayed the scheduled start of their new league season earlier this month because of the fighting while teams competing in international competitions in recent months have been forced to hold home matches in neighbouring Tunisia.
To add to the frustration, in February Libya claimed its first senior African title, winning the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament they were originally also set to host but which again ended up in South Africa because of the civil unrest.
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