SPORTS
Cameroon and Ivory Coast were handed the right to hold the African Nations Cup finals as the Confederation of African Football sprung a surprise on Saturday and also named Guinea to host the continental championship.
Five countries were bidding for the 2019 and 2021 finals with Cameroon chosen for 2019 and Ivory Coast for 2021 in a vote of the organisation's executive committee.
CAF also decided to give Guinea the 2023 edition. Cameroon were previous hosts in 1972 and the Ivorians in 1984 -- when the Nations Cup was half the size of its current 16 team format -- but Guinea has never before hosted the event.
Algeria and Zambia missed out but the Algerians might be asked to take over from Libya as hosts of the 2017 event. Libya last month stepped down as hosts because of the civil strife in the north African country.
That decision will be made when the committee meets in Morocco in January, CAF media officer Junior Buinyam said.
NEW STADIUMS
Cameroon's sports minister Adoum Garoua told Reuters they would seek to build seven new stadiums and refurbish eight others for the event -- some for matches and others for training.
"It's been 37 years since we last hosted the tournament so you can imagine our feelings," he said. "Winning the bid came at a time when not only are we changing the (national) team but all aspects of Cameroonian football," Garoua added.
Cameroon's bid was centred around four venues in Bafoussam, Douala, Garoua and Yaounde. The Ivorians plan to use five cities -- Abidjan, Bouake, Korhogo, San Pedro and the capital Yamoussoukro.
Guinea's bid promised to use Conakry, Kankan, Labe and Nzerekore as venues. Ironically the country is currently banned from hosting any international football by CAF because of the Ebola virus outbreak.
"The country has been waiting for this for a long time," Antonio Souare, a member of Guinea's delegation, told Reuters.
"Don't forget that we're a big country in West Africa. As South Africa disproved all of its doubters (in hosting the 2010 World Cup), we will prepare well and do the same."
The next Nations Cup finals will be held in Morocco from Jan. 17-Feb. 8 next year.
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