Congo Brazzaville Not Interested in Hosting 2019 Africa Cup of Nations

Congo Brazzaville Sports Minister Hugues Ngouélondélé said on Monday that his country is not interested in hosting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

CAF is looking for new hosts after its executive committee voted unanimously to strip Cameroon of the hosting rights.

This comes after Constant Omari, vice-president of CAF told Radio France International (RFI) that Congo Brazzaville had written to the continental football governing body, to host the continental showpiece.

“We are six months away from the organization of the Africa Cup of Nations and it will not be possible for us to organise it with honour and dignity,” Ngouélondélé said on RFI.

“It’s rather quite the opposite, Congo-Brazzaville will not be a candidate, and it will not be possible.”

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “We are not going to embark on such an adventure so that the festival is not beautiful and dishonor our country. Congo is not ready.”   [/perfectpullquote]

“We have other priorities than to organise the AFCON at the moment,” Ngouélondélé added.

It is widely rumoured that the rights will be awarded to Morocco who have had significant infrastructure upgrades in recent years and even tabled a bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup but lost to the joint-triple-bid of the USA, Mexico and Canada.

The North African nation hosted this year’s CHAN Championships after original hosts Kenya found themselves in a similar position as Cameroon.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to take place in a new host country from June 15 to July 13 of that year.