[ 2015-04-08 ]

Ghana misses out as CAF picks Gabon for AFCON 2017
Ghana has missed out on the chance to host the
2017 Nations Cup after the Confederation of
African Football picked Gabon as the next host of
the continental football tournament.

Ghana's delegation, led by President of the
Football Association made a last-minute lobby
attempt to win the right to host the AFCON 2017
but lost nonetheless.

Gabon was chosen ahead of Algeria and Ghana.

All three countries stepped up their campaign to
lobby the CAF executive members to vote in their
favour.

Former Youth and Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga,
who led the bid until he was moved from that
Ministry last month, had expressed optimism that
Ghana would be chosen.

“We are not just a great football nation, but we
proved during AFCON 2008, what great hosts we are.
The infrastructure is already in place and we
would not have to start preparing from scratch,”
Mahama Ayariga, the former Minister, who is part
of Ghana’s delegation to the Cairo meeting
said.

Ghana’s high powered delegation was led by new
sports minister Dr Mustapha Ahmed.

Despite Ghana’s strong case to land the hosting
rights, Gabon were the strongest favourites to be
handed the massive opportunity because they spent
the past few months travelling and meeting
executives to tell them of their plans.

Ghana hosted the finals in 1963, 1978 and 2008 and
co-hosted in 2000 with Nigeria as late
replacements when Zimbabwe was stripped of the
right to hold the event.

Algeria hosted the tournament in 1990 when they
won their only continental title.

Source - Starrfmonline

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