SA government keen on hosting 2019 Afcon
Sports Minister Tokozile Xasa confirmed SA would like to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, but they don't wish to bid.
Tokozile Xasa during the 2018 South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Olympic House on June 09, 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images)
Xasa says they are considering hosting Afcon if the Confederation of African Football (Caf) makes them a decent formal offer to host, and they don’t have to bid.
Caf asked South Africa and Morocco to host after they confirmed Cameroon won’t be hosting the continental tournament. The minister says Caf needs to make an offer they can’t refuse and provide information about the Afcon tournament if they are to state their case to cabinet.
The government doesn’t want to incur any cost through bidding to host the tournament and Xasa says there needs to be a return on the investment government will make in hosting the tournament.
“As of now‚ we have no information and we have no clue of what it will cost, but we are waiting for Safa to bring us all the information. But we are keen to host the tournament‚” Xasa said on Friday. “I was very clear to them [Safa] that if they [Caf] want us to host‚ it must be an offer. It must not be like we are bidding because with bidding there are costs and all of that.
“We have asked Safa to bring us what it entails because without knowing we would not be able to take it to cabinet.”
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