July 26, 2017 By Sahr Morris Jnr
AFCON 2023…Is Sierra Leone ready for co-hosting?
Vice-president of the Organising Committee of the CAN (COCAN) Communication Commission, Thierno Sadou Diakité, has reportedly suggested that Guinea should consider co-hosting the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Sierra Leone.
With the African Football governing body’s (CAF) Executive Committee, during last week’s two-day symposium, approving the expansion from 16 to 24 teams Nations Cup tournament, the COCAN consultant thinks things are complicated for Guinea and needs to redouble their effort to assemble more funds.
Diakité was quoted by Afrique.le360.ma: “This is complicated for Guinea because we will have to redouble our efforts to mobilize much more financial resources to meet the requirements of the CAF specifications.”
The consultant, who is said to have long called for the establishment of COCAN, believes that Guinea is unable to organise a single CAN for 24 teams in 2023 and suggested a co-organization of the CAN with a neighbouring country, preferably Sierra Leone which is very closer to Conakry.
“Even before the award of CAN 2023 to Guinea, this idea had already been issued by a sports minister. So, we can exploit it with the new deal,” said Thierno Sadou Diakité, adding that the possible co-hosting will see Guinea hosting the four sites that it planned for the tournament with 16 teams,while locating the other two to Sierra Leone.
He said: “Co-organisation is a pragmatic alternative for our country. In any case, we await the return of Antonio Souaré of the return of the CAF Symposium in order to defend the approach to be adopted after the changes.”
Meanwhile, the President of the Guinean Football Federation did reassures delegates in Rabat, Morocco, at the CAF symposium that Guinea will be able to organize the AFCON 2023 even with increase of teams. “I can assure you that Guinea will be ready to welcome Africa in 2023,” Antonio Souare was quoted by the Senegalese News Agency.
In September 2014, CAF awarded Guinea the right to host the 2023 Nations Cup finals.