Reports suggest that CAF has received a number of bids to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with South Africa one of the seven countries in the race.
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Twelve years after South Africa last hosted the continental showpiece, it could well be returning to the home of Bafana Bafana in 2025. According to Ghanasoccernet, Nigeria and Benin, Zambia, Senegal, Algeria and Morocco are set to join SA in the race to potentially host the tournament.
The 2025 edition of the competition was originally supposed to be held in Guinea, but CAF decided against having the tournament in the west African country because of their ill-preparedness to host the AFCON.
It means the bid-winning nation has not hosted the Africa's premier tournament in over a decade.
The 2025 spectacle is set place to take place during the off-season, with AFCON traditionally being held at the beginning of each year.
Should South Africa’s reported bid be successful, it will be the third time they host the tournament.
The 1996 African champions have not successfully qualified for AFCON since 2019, when they were defeated by Nigeria in the quarter-finals. The last time the Super Eagles staged an Africa Cup of Nations, they co-hosted the tournament with west African neighbours Ghana in 2000.
Although the football federations of Nigeria and Benin are yet to officially announce their candidacy, it is the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) that made the revelation.
At CAF's headquarters in Cairo to submit his nation's candidacy files, FAF president Salah Bey Aboud claimed that the west African nations have submitted a joint bid, while Morocco have also thrown their hat in the ring to host the tournament.
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"I am currently in Cairo and I have just officially submitted Algeria's candidacy file for AFCON 2025," Aboud said.
"Nigeria and Benin have submitted a joint file in addition to the Moroccan file."
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