₦airaland Forum

chrisooblog:
Even hosting if we wanted to is possible.

In 2009 at the height of the Niger-Delta militancy issue we still hosted the u17s.

To be fair that's different from terrorism and CAF may not want to put qualified countries at risk unless we decide to host all the games in Southern Nigeria plus Abuja.

So you've now admitted: we can only theoretically host if we limit locations due to insecurity, which itself is a massive infrastructure/institutional failure. CAF's standards have also tightened significantly since then.

semid4lyfe:
Can Nigeria host AFCON?

The basic infrastructure already exists. Stadiums, training pitches. hotels, major roads, airports etc can be renovated/refurbished and brought up to the required standard.

Experience boku. Pedigree dey overflow. We've hosted global competitions before and can always rely on the experience garnered. All Africa Games, U-17 World Cup, U-20 World Cup, AFCON etc.

(In)Security-wise, it can be localized to the South and Abuja.

Tournament logistics na easy peasy and we go run am smoothly.

Huge football-crazy population and social media pull so massive TV viewership numbers and online engagements is guaranteed.

etc etc.

Nigeria’s ability to host AFCON rests on capacity, and I believe we have this in abundance.

Those against have preconceived answer they always want to hear and if you don’t give them that answer they will keep on arguing or threaten to deactivate their accounts. Please let them be!

Odunayaw:
And we had all this in all the tournaments we hosted this century abi? 😁

Yes, for the most part, we did. Our stadiums were more standard then and in line with globally accepted standards with respect to the time period. Our infrastructure was maintained and our security situation was manageable. Years of neglect, corruption, and mismanagement have degraded what we once had. Past capability doesn't guarantee present capability when you've spent decades allowing everything to deteriorate. This isn't complicated at all.

It's standard practice for countries hosting major competitions to put their best foot forward and launder their image that everything is great and kumbaya. Ask the locals where there are no cameras or government officials monitoring them and they will tell you what's up.

I support holding our government to account to do better however it should be done with facts and not agenda laced commentary.

TheSuperNerd:
Chrisooblog, well said ooo. Moroccan citizens protested so bitterly that the attention on football is too much while their standard of living and educational quality were taking huge hits. It was not funny.

Just as recently as last 2 weeks, more disaster struck in the moroccan coastal town of Safi killing dozens of people "thanks" to Total Energies' fossil fuel presence in those lands. Same french company that sponsors the Afcon and CAF as a whole. They are trying to close it up and look like all is okay in Morocco. Omo, it is not ooo.... CAF and Moroccan Authorities made no concrete comments on the latest tragedy sef.

The bottom line is can we host? Yes.

Cameroon when they hosted in 2022 hadn't solved their local insurgency issue.

NasirIbnLaAhad:
So you've now admitted: we can only theoretically host if we limit locations due to insecurity, which itself is a massive infrastructure/institutional failure. CAF's standards have also tightened significantly since then.

Goke7:
You’re the one that is sentimental cos the facts I and others have been presenting here is puncturing all the false narratives you and others want to paint here. Even America hosting the World Cup has more insecurity issues than Nigeria and yes more people in the US die yearly due to insecurity than Nigeria but Una no go see that one cos Nigeria must be dragged in the mud whether we have stadiums or not.

Do we have capacity? O yes, do we have ongoing sports facilities construction going on, oh yes, is Nigeria trying to fix it’s security problems oh yes what else again do you want. An answer that nothing is working and cannot work. Plssssss

Now you've just descended into complete absurdity. Comparing US insecurity to Nigeria's terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping crisis is so intellectually dishonest it borders on parody. The US has localized gun violence issues, but bruh... they're not dealing with Boko Haram, bandit attacks shutting down entire highways, or mass kidnappings from schools. Lol.

FIFA isn't concerned about terrorists storming World Cup venues in American cities. This comparison is desperate and you know it. And your claim that more people die yearly in the US from insecurity than Nigeria this is either deliberate misinformation or staggering ignorance. Nigeria's insecurity has displaced millions, made entire regions ungovernable, and regularly disrupts interstate travel. Trying and succeeding are vastly different. We've been "trying" for over a decade while the situation has worsened in many regions. Trying doesn't make venues safe or convince CAF that visiting teams won't be at risk. You claim we have capacity and ongoing construction. Fine. Name them specifically. Which stadiums are currently being upgraded to CAF standards with realistic completion timelines? What's the budget? Who's the contractor? When's the deadline? Give concrete details instead of vague gestures at "ongoing construction." The National Stadium Abuja which used to be our flagship facility has been barely functional for 20 years. If there's genuine progress happening now, show the evidence. Press releases aren't infrastructure.

Nobody here wants Nigeria to fail or enjoys pointing out our problems. The frustration comes from people like you who respond to legitimate concerns with deflection, insults, false comparisons, and accusations of being anti-Nigerian. You're not defending Nigeria. You're defending the mediocrity and dysfunction that keeps us stuck.

QueenJazz:
Semid4lyfe, Dominique et al why cant I receive a link to deactivate my account? Abeg oo. Let me leave football for the pundits and scholars and professionals abeg.

Calm down. E no reach to deactivate.

If na so everybody dey take commot on top differing opinions, this thread for no grow reach where e dey today that it'd interest you to post regularly in it.

If the heat too much, just take a break and come back later when the conversation has moved on.

chrisooblog:
Hosting AFCON for Nigeria in recent years has been more a case of priority than capacity.

If Nigeria is chosen to host in 2-4 years time I have no doubt it can be done so far the funds are made available.

Today apart from the stadiums in Abuja and Uyo we still have 4 stadiums that can be renovated to get up to standard. The one in Abeokuta, Teslim in Lagos, the one in Benin city and another in Rivers. Fix the pitches, dressing rooms and you're good to go.

For me personally the reason why I think we haven't hosted is that it's not politically expedient to spend money on a tournament when the economy isn't great where millions of people are living below the poverty line.

Morocco we are using as example people in the country there seriously protested the standard of living months ago.

Your head Dey there the same people arguing now will be first to complain of the huge amount of money that will be budgeted for upgrade and maintenance where people are hungry or in poverty.

Ordinary 100k dollars given to falcons and the female tigers when they won their tournaments even in this thread come and see people complaining now they are crying we can’t host Afcon as if na sand we go use host am. Bullshit

NasirIbnLaAhad:
Now you've just descended into complete absurdity. Comparing US insecurity to Nigeria's terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping crisis is so intellectually dishonest it borders on parody. The US has localized gun violence issues, but bruh... they're not dealing with Boko Haram, bandit attacks shutting down entire highways, or mass kidnappings from schools. Lol.

FIFA isn't concerned about terrorists storming World Cup venues in American cities. This comparison is desperate and you know it. And your claim that more people die yearly in the US from insecurity than Nigeria this is either deliberate misinformation or staggering ignorance. Nigeria's insecurity has displaced millions, made entire regions ungovernable, and regularly disrupts interstate travel. Trying and succeeding are vastly different. We've been "trying" for over a decade while the situation has worsened in many regions. Trying doesn't make venues safe or convince CAF that visiting teams won't be at risk. You claim we have capacity and ongoing construction. Fine. Name them specifically. Which stadiums are currently being upgraded to CAF standards with realistic completion timelines? What's the budget? Who's the contractor? When's the deadline? Give concrete details instead of vague gestures at "ongoing construction." The National Stadium Abuja which used to be our flagship facility has been barely functional for 20 years. If there's genuine progress happening now, show the evidence. Press releases aren't infrastructure.

Nobody here wants Nigeria to fail or enjoys pointing out our problems. The frustration comes from people like you who respond to legitimate concerns with deflection, insults, false comparisons, and accusations of being anti-Nigerian. You're not defending Nigeria. You're defending the mediocrity and dysfunction that keeps us stuck.

You’re the one dishonest here Even the stats you quoted say the figures are being disputed, what’s the population of Nigerian towns and villages that over 600,000 deaths will be recorded.

Please stop the lies, you have nothing to gain here! And yes more people die in the US from gun violence and other crimes than Nigeria from even the source you’re quoting

To the moderators it’s high time we start factchecking numbers being thrown here 😂

chrisooblog:
The bottom line is can we host? Yes.

Cameroon when they hosted in 2022 hadn't solved their local insurgency issue.

Nigeria's issue isn't just insurgency. It's decades of unfinished infrastructure and no demonstrated capability to secure large-scale football events.

Goke7:
You’re the one dishonest here Even the stats you quoted say the figures are being disputed, what’s the population of Nigerian towns and villages that over 600,000 deaths will be recorded.

Please stop the lies, you have nothing to gain here! And yes more people die in the US from gun violence and other crimes than Nigeria from even the source you’re quoting

I will put my hands up and admit that I didn't investigate those numbers properly. That being said, I'm highly suspicious of your claim that more people die in the US from insecurity than Nigeria and I'll love to see some evidence for that claim if you don't mind.

At any rate, you haven't answered my question here. Which specific stadiums are being upgraded to CAF standards? What are the timelines and budgets? You folks keep making vague claims about ongoing construction but provide zero concrete details.

So what did we do to be able to meet up with all that "most part"? Have we lost that ability?

NasirIbnLaAhad:
Yes, for the most part, we did. Our stadiums were more standard then and in line with globally accepted standards with respect to the time period. Our infrastructure was maintained and our security situation was manageable. Years of neglect, corruption, and mismanagement have degraded what we once had. Past capability doesn't guarantee present capability when you've spent decades allowing everything to deteriorate. This isn't complicated at all.

At this point, I think it's best for the two camps on this AFCON hosting debate to agree to disagree agreeably.

Also, if we have the capacity to host, how come we lost the 2025 and 2027 AFCON bids to Morocco and Kenya/Tanzania/Uganda respectively when we truly wanted to host it?

https://www.icirnigeria.org/why-nigeria-lost-2025-afcon-hosting-bid-experts/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20are%20not%20ready%20to,it%20was%20dead%20on%20arrival.

NasirIbnLaAhad:
I will put my hands up and admit that I didn't investigate those numbers properly. That being said, I'm highly suspicious of your claim that more people die in the US from insecurity than Nigeria and I'll love to see some evidence for that claim if you don't mind.

At any rate, you haven't answered my question here. Which specific stadiums are being upgraded to CAF standards? What are the timelines and budgets? You folks keep making vague claims about ongoing construction but provide zero concrete details.

Your problem is you’re finding it hard to believe how bad insecurity is in the US and I can understand but it’s what it is. Your source says it all.

I told you earlier how kaduna state is upgrading the ahmadu bello stadium which is one of Nigeria flagship stadium that hosted international competitions in the past but still you keep asking or you think I don’t know what am talking about

https://punchng.com/kaduna-begins-reconstruction-of-ahmadu-bello-stadium/

Odunayaw:
So what did we do to be able to meet up with all that "most part"? Have we lost that ability?

We had investment, proper maintenance, and functional governance systems. The ability isn't permanently lost but it's been largely squandered through corruption, neglect, and mismanagement. Countries don't lose capabilities inherently. They lose them through poor leadership and lack of accountability. We can rebuild what we had, but it requires genuine commitment to infrastructure development, transparent spending, and consistent upkeep rather than short-term fixes for appearances. The question isn't whether we've lost the ability forever, but whether we're willing to make the sustained investments and reforms needed to restore it.

semid4lyfe:
At this point, I think it's best for the two camps on this AFCON hosting debate to agree to disagree agreeably.

So far there has been no personal attacks.

It shouldn't take anything to say "this is the last thing I'm saying about this" and leave it that. It is one letting us know of their metaphoric nerves we call bullshyte on

NasirIbnLaAhad:
We had investment, proper maintenance, and functional governance systems. The ability isn't permanently lost but it's been largely squandered through corruption, neglect, and mismanagement. Countries don't lose capabilities inherently. They lose them through poor leadership and lack of accountability. We can rebuild what we had, but it requires genuine commitment to infrastructure development, transparent spending, and consistent upkeep rather than short-term fixes for appearances. The question isn't whether we've lost the ability forever, but whether we're willing to make the sustained investments and reforms needed to restore it.

So you've returned to my point that it is a will thing

Goke7:
Your problem is you’re finding it hard to believe how bad insecurity is in the US and I can understand but it’s what it is. Your source says it all.

I told you earlier how kaduna state is upgrading the ahmadu bello stadium which is one of Nigeria flagship stadium but still you keep asking or you think I don’t know what am talking about

https://punchng.com/kaduna-begins-reconstruction-of-ahmadu-bello-stadium/

We need consistent upgrades nationwide, not just isolated projects. Hopefully they don't stall with this one and start giving excuses later. And I asked for figures for your claim about US insecurity. I didn't say there's no insecurity there, but I want to see the figures there that show that's its worse than the Islamic terrorism in Nigeria. You don't expect me to take your word for it now, do you?

Odunayaw:
So you've returned to my point that it is a will thing

There's a difference between "will" and "capability." We never lost the technical ability. But we've lost institutional integrity and commitment to maintenance. It's not just about wanting something but about establishing systems that prevent corruption and ensure accountability, which requires structural reform, not just desire.

TheSuperNerd:
Her nerves must have been stinged indeed coz she ran to the block button which is funny to me as it actually saves me the stress of reading more nonsense from her at this point.
By January 12, I will reinitiate the block myself. This 3wks block should be made permanent tbh. Lol

I just shock because as how na

NasirIbnLaAhad:
I think people in this thread are being unnecessarily harsh on the lady. She posited a very poignant argument.

Premise 1: If political will alone were sufficient for hosting tournaments, then countries with declared intentions and allocated budgets would successfully host.

Premise 2: Nigeria has repeatedly declared intentions and allocated budgets for major projects (including stadiums and infrastructure) but has failed to complete them.

Conclusion: Therefore, the critical factor is not political will or available resources, but institutional capacity for execution, which Nigeria currently lacks

Is this your argument, QueenJazz?

^^^The argument stands.

NasirIbnLaAhad:
I think people in this thread are being unnecessarily harsh on the lady. She posited a very poignant argument.

Premise 1: If political will alone were sufficient for hosting tournaments, then countries with declared intentions and allocated budgets would successfully host.

Premise 2: Nigeria has repeatedly declared intentions and allocated budgets for major projects (including stadiums and infrastructure) but has failed to complete them.

Conclusion: Therefore, the critical factor is not political will or available resources, but institutional capacity for execution, which Nigeria currently lacks

Is this your argument, QueenJazz?

When one buttresses on these points it'll be like you don't love your country and wish for it to not progress that's why I just stopped arguing. Why won't I want to see another afcon in my lifetime at home after 2000? Are we even supposed to be adding Benin republic to go and bid as hosts in a typical scenario? We can host even multiple tournaments if we start restructuring and tackling our issues starting from insecurity, infrastructural neglect and the economy. CAF is not stupid if they know we're capable we will not have to do much to convince them. Well to each his own.

NasirIbnLaAhad:
There's a difference between "will" and "capability." We never lost the technical ability. But we've lost institutional integrity and commitment to maintenance. It's not just about wanting something but about establishing systems that prevent corruption and ensure accountability, which requires structural reform, not just desire.

So you strawman what "will" means so you can explain what what "will" means normally?

Goke7:
You’re the one dishonest here Even the stats you quoted say the figures are being disputed, what’s the population of Nigerian towns and villages that over 600,000 deaths will be recorded.

Please stop the lies, you have nothing to gain here! And yes more people die in the US from gun violence and other crimes than Nigeria from even the source you’re quoting

To the moderators it’s high time we start factchecking numbers being thrown here 😂

Most US gun deaths are suicides. Majority of what is left is gang wars in crazy neighborhoods. Innocent people are hardly affected. If 50,000 innocent people were dying in the US no one would want to visit bruh.

Btw Nigeria can host AFCON. Don’t know why they’re arguing it.

I mean, it’s Africa na. Highest thing is to upgrade the pitches to tournament standards and rent LED adboards from China. What’s there? It’s not like CAF will ask you to build a high speed rail or upgrade the airports.

Bossoflife25:
FOR REAL , THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE HERE!

THIS MOROCCO TEAM WILL STRUGGLE AGAINST MORE FORMIDABLE TEAMS. WE BEAT BENIN 4 NIL. GABON 4-1. MORE FORMIDABLE TEAM THAN COMOROS!

Then played nonsensically against congo

Football is not 1+1

Kilishihunter:
When one buttresses on these points it'll be like you don't love your country and wish for it to not progress that's why I just stopped arguing. Why won't I want to see another afcon in my lifetime at home after 2000? Are we even supposed to be adding Benin republic to go and bid as hosts in a typical scenario? We can host even multiple tournaments if we start restructuring and tackling our issues starting from insecurity, infrastructural neglect and the economy. CAF is not stupid if they know we're capable we will not have to do much to convince them. Well to each his own.

Somehow you refused to think of the regional integration angle and you wan form objective?

😁

JohnBullMySon:
Btw Nigeria can host AFCON. Don’t know why they’re arguing it.

I mean, it’s Africa na. Highest thing is to upgrade the pitches to tournament standards and rent LED adboards from China. What’s there? It’s not like CAF will ask you to build a high speed rail or upgrade the airports.

Torrrr

Worst part is their claim of the high ground

semid4lyfe:
At this point, I think it's best for the two camps on this AFCON hosting debate to agree to disagree agreeably.

We can say whatever trash about naija but lying is a no no!

Kilishihunter:
When one buttresses on these points it'll be like you don't love your country and wish for it to not progress that's why I just stopped arguing. Why won't I want to see another afcon in my lifetime at home after 2000? Are we even supposed to be adding Benin republic to go and bid as hosts in a typical scenario? We can host even multiple tournaments if we start restructuring and tackling our issues starting from insecurity, infrastructural neglect and the economy. CAF is not stupid if they know we're capable we will not have to do much to convince them. Well to each his own.

It's not hard to fathom my brother. But I've noticed that sometimes people on this thread like looking for scapegoats and failing to understand the core logic of other people's arguments. Funny enough, I actually believe 100% that we can host the AFCON if we just get our business in order. It shouldn't be too difficult. But I also understand where people like you are coming from. I had to jump in because I found it bizarre to see people being heckled for saying they prefer that things improve instead of living in the past.

TheSuperNerd:
It will take years upon years for Morocco to catch up with what Nigeria has achieved in football across all categories. Morocco has not even caught up with Egypt or Cameroun's pedigree ranks.

In football, it is not mouth. Nigeria are truly Africa's Giant.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8OAGwC2Eak?si=00difToGq6lr-T6M

i agree with you small oo, but make Nigeria reach world cup semifinal first and also host senior world….the only record that still make us giant is the 10wafcon trophy and 5U17 wc trophy…aside that morocco don dey catch us oo🤣

Odunayaw:
Somehow you refused to think of the regional integration angle and you wan form objective?

😁

I've already buttressed my point on that already. Motsepe is not fooling anybody with that regional nonsense when Nigeria Benin were widely seen as favourites after Algeria pulled out