OFFICIAL: Guinea Stripped Of 2025 AFCON Hosting Rights

Guinea were stripped Saturday of the right to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a  CAF executive committee meeting in Algeria.

The decision was announced at a media conference after a one-day gathering of the African football “cabinet” headed by president Potrice Motsepe from South Africa.

Slow preparations for the 2025 tournament led to a decision widely anticipated for several weeks following CAF top brass visits to Conakry.

“I visited Guinea out of respect to the people of Guinea to discuss CAF’s willingness to advise and work together with the football stakeholders to construct and build football infrastructure and facilities in this country,” the CAF president said.

“This will enable Guinea to bid with other competing Nations for the African Nations Championships (“CHAN”) which will take place after the CHAN to be hosted by Algeria in 2023, in the light of the decision by CAF not to proceed with the TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 in Guinea.

Nations wishing to replace Guinea have until January 1 to submit bids with the new hosts to be named before next Nations Cup in Ivory Coast.

There has been media speculation that Morocco or South Africa could take over the running of the tournament.

Guinea were initially set to host the 2023 AFCON but were awarded the 2025 tournament after Cameroon was stripped off the hosting right of the 2019 edition.