All Around Africa This morning

Ivory Coast Finally Succumb to CAF Pressure and agree to AFCON change


The Confederation of African Football (Caf) says Ivory Coast has agreed to host the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, instead of 2021.

The move allows Cameroon, who were stripped of the right to stage this year's event, to take on 2021 instead.

Ivory Coast had resisted the two-year delay, going as far as filing a case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But after President Alassane Ouattara met Caf President Ahmad on Tuesday, a deal has been sealed.

Guinea, who had been slated for 2023, will put on the 2025 tournament.

Both Cameroon and Guinea had already agreed to the changes, so the deal with Ivory Coast is the final part of the re-organisation of Caf's long-standing plans.
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Cameroon Clubs Drag CAF to CAS Over AFCON Hosting Rights Withdrawal


In a letter published on Monday, the Association of Amateur Football Clubs of Cameroon (ACFAC) confirmed that it has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the withdrawal of AFCON 2019 from Cameroon and its reallocation to Egypt.
On November 30, Cameroon lost its host rights to AFCON 2019 due to delays in the works and the competition was finally re-awarded to Egypt.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has settled this amicably with the Cameroonian authorities by entrusting them with the organization of the next edition, in 2021, as a "consolation prize".
But this arrangement has not gone well with the Association of Amateur Football Clubs of Cameroon (ACFAC), which perceives the withdrawal of the 2019 edition as an injustice. At the initiative of a hundred local clubs, the association appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge not only the withdrawal of the AFCON from Cameroon, but also the designation of Egypt as a new country- host. In a letter made public on Monday, the ACFAC announces that the CAS has opened arbitration proceedings in this regard.

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Comoros Takes CAF to Court over Cameroon


The Comoros Football Federation (FFC) has lodged a case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) over Cameroon's participation at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

A post on social media from the general manager of the Comoros team, Ben Amir Saadi, confirmed the move.

The Comoros believe that Cameroon should be excluded from the 2019 finals after having the hosting rights for the tournament withdrawn from them.

The FFC claims that Caf has failed to implement its own regulations concerning the action to be taken.

Caf rules (Article 92.3) state that if a nation withdraws from hosting or has the rights taken away one year before the finals, 'a fine of five hundred thousand (500,000) U.S. dollars and a suspension of the next edition of AFCON of it's A national team, without considering the concerned edition.'

Comoros are in the same qualifying group as Cameroon, whom they face in March.

As things stand, the Nations Cup qualifier in March between Cameroon and the Comoros will decide who joins already-qualified Morocco in reaching the finals in Egypt, with the fourth team in Group B - Malawi - no long able to go through.

With Morocco on 10 points, Cameroon 8 and the Comoros 5, a draw in Cameroon will be enough for the Indomitable Lions to advance - while the Comoros must win to advance.

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Ivory Coast sweating over fitness of Ghislain Konan

Ivory Coast defender Ghislain Konan has been ruled out for between three to four months.

Stade de Reims have confirmed that the 23-year-old will undergo an operation on his back injury on Wednesday.

The recovery time means he will be in a race to prove his fitness for June's Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Konan played in the Elephants last four Nations Cup qualifiers as they qualified for the final that begin on 21 June in Egypt.

In all he has eight caps for Ivory Coast including two as a substitute.

He has not played for Reims since the 1-1 draw away to Lyon in France's Ligue 1 on Jan

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