The CAF symposium done in Morocco to deliberate on the future and change in Africa football has brought on so many ideas which will help the continental game of which it was taken from eight thermatic areas. Going throught the decisions taken by CAF, I believe some of the decisions taken were for ulterior motives which depicts the idea of revenge to appease somethings done by previous administrators of the continental football.
Holistically, it was a genuine and a successful symposium organised by CAF in Morocco but it is good we address issues that came from that gathering accordingly.
I completely agree that Africa Football needs a change of idea and formulae but I am befuddled how Ahmad Ahmad and the executive committee of CAF want to implement and effectively take on actions when it will, obviously, will have an adverse repercursion on the continental game. Ahmad Ahmad is in a rush. He might end up doing the right thing at the wrong time.
Why should CAF approve 24 countries in the next AFCON with immediate effect when we know the economic strength of Cameroon that they do not have that capacity to add more facilities and infrastructures to accomodate the 24 nations in 2019? I feel there is a big conspiracy to forcibly out-musscle Cameroon to render them incapacitated to host the next AFCON probably because of Issa Hayatou?
France, who are super powers when it comes to football facilities and infrastructures where given notice that the 2016 European Champion they will be hosting will be 24 nations even before Poland and Ukraine in 2012. Why should CAF agree, with immediate effect, that the 2019 AFCON will be 24 nation if not malicious and ill-intended just take it away from Cameroon, country of Issa Hayatou who took away the hosting right of the AFCON U17 from Madagascar, country of Ahmad Ahmad who is the current CAF President to Gabon.
The argument has been that the time for the AFCON has been pushed forward from Jamuary/February to June/July which is a good idea, but this can be flawed and rendered inefficient when the country to host is adequately unprepared to accomodate 24 countries.
If, for any reason, that Cameroon do not or are not able to host the next AFCON, the indictment the lost will bring to the game in a « deprived » continent like Africa will put forth a negative precedence for coming events in the activities of CAF because it will roll and repose confidence in allowing some critical decisions taken to help Africa football to be compromised. I believe this decision taken by Ahmad Ahmad and his executives at the symposium in Morocco was a deliberate act to whip away the hosting right from Cameroon.
CAF were not magnanimous to the issue of implementing when and where to row out a good initiative of 24 countries where more countries in Africa will have the hopes of having a share and feel of the elite Africa competition as it will be a blow and drug of face in the mud against Cameroon should they not host the AFCON which, for now, looks likely baring any unforeseen contingency in the foreseable future.
I will be so much elated to see the next AFCON played in Cameroon with this initiative of 24 countries maintained but it will take a lot from FECAFOOT (Cameroonian Football Federation) and the government of Cameroon in terms of facilities and infrastructural facelift within the next one and a half years and from the economic musscles of the country, they will only have to spend beyond their economic budget even if it will contend them borrowing to honour this prestigious tournament.
Should Cameroon be able to host a successful AFCON in 2019, they will laugh last against CAF who took this hasty decision to effectively take on 24 countries participating in the most prestigious Africa competition which I personally think was to tickle Cameroon away from hosting the AFCON. The benefits, thereon, will be enormous and tremendous to Cameroonian football.
By: Lateef Abdul Sadick
Follow me on twitter @Lateefkickgh
