Caf president Ahmad Ahmad has confirmed that Guinea has accepted to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) instead, of the 2023 edition.
This follows Caf's withdrawal of 2019 hosting rights from Cameroon who were then asked to organise the 2021 tournament that was originally scheduled to be staged in Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast have however, declined to have their hosting mandate moved to 2023 and have approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport seeking to preserve their status as 2021 organisers.
While the Ivorians are not willing to have their Afcon rights shifted, Guinea have joined Cameroon in accepting the rescheduling of their hosting schedule.
"According to the president of continental football body (Caf), after their meeting with the President of the Republic (of Guinea) Professor Alpha Conde at the Sekhoutoureya Palace (on Sunday), where they were also joined by Fifa president Gianni Infantino, Ahmad said that the Guinean President accepted the moving of the calendar of Afcon 2023 and opts for the 2025 edition," said a statement on the Feguifoot website.
"Ahmad, in his remarks, gave the example of Cameroon where President Paul Biya officially accepted the withdrawal of Afcon 2019 from his country (to 2021)."
AFP also quoted Ahmad stating that Guinea had agreed to shift organising Afcon by a further two years.
"I am delighted at Guinea's acceptance to shift their organising of Afcon to 2025. I am proud that the President of the Republic of Guinea Alpha Conde has himself accepted this," Ahmad was quoted by AFP, before Guinea's Minister of State and presidential spokesperson Kiridi Bangoura also added his voice:
"Sincerely, we are delighted and in solidarity with the Caf, we accept this decision.But we want it to be the Guinean Football Federation (Feguifoot) that officially takes us to this decision by Caf, even if it was discussed directly with the President. There has been a shift in timing and since Guinea is not the only one concerned by this shift, we accept it," said Bangoura.
Caf are now expected to announce the 2019 Afcon hosts soon after Wednesday's Executive Committee meeting.
South Africa and Egypt have submitted bids to host the 2019 tournament which kicks off in June.
