CAF says no final decision yet on CHAN 2020 in Cameroon

The African Nations Championship, CHAN, competition planned this year in Cameroon was postponed in February due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic ravaging the globe. Rumours have however been making rounds that the competition was going to be indefinitely cancelled by the Confederation of African Football, CAF. Some sources has even said the CAfF was due to choose another country which will host the next tournament. All these claims have however in been denied by the CAF president who has insisted that Cameroon is still the rightful host of the tournament – and that the tournament will eventually take place, just not when planned. “The Confederation has not taken any decision annulling the CHAN,” the CAF president reiterated. “We have an executive committee meeting on the 30th of this month where we will take the decisions concerning the tournament; there are is need to do baseless speculations” he added The competition originally scheduled for April 4 to 25, 2020, has been postponed to sometime later in 2020 or beyond by the African football governing body. Before postponement, draws to the competition had already been made, with the host nation in pool A with Mali, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso. There are still growing concerns however on the successful organisation of the CHAN next year in Cameroon, given the fact that the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) too will take place in 2021, by the same host, Cameroon. Many have increasing worries about Cameroon’s competence in hosting two major CAF tournaments in one year. Such concerns are somehow legitimate, as Cameroon was stripped off her hosting rights by CAF for the past tournament organised in Egypt, because the confederation assessed the country was not prepared to host the tournament. We still see presently that barely less than a year to the next tournament, some hosting facilities in the country are still 59 percent complete. It may not be strange if Cameroon’s sluggishness together with the increasing Covid-19 pressure be seen stripped off another major tournament. What a blow that will be indeed. With this in mind, the Minister for Sports has called for the acceleration of work on various sites. It is hoped the call for acceleration is adhered to and it doesn’t pan out like most unheeded ministerial pleas. Mimi Mefo Info