It will be a decisive week for Cameroon which has been scheduled to host the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in April this year and the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), as officials of CAF, led by president Ahmad Ahmad, arrived on Monday in the central African country for a three-day inspection visit.
At the end of the visit “important decisions will be taken concerning the hosting of the CHAN and AFCON”, the ministry of sports said in a statement late Monday.
Cameroon will have to convince its guests that it has the capacity of completing on time the remaining work at various sites, notably at the Olembe Sports Complex, which has not met any periodic deadline.
According to the ministry, if an official green light is given to host the events, Cameroonian authorities and CAF team will decide on the dates for the 2021 AFCON which will likely fall within the former period of January and February.
The previous edition was held in June / July, to enable African players plying their trade in Europe to fully participate during the off season. However the months of June and July in Cameroon are in the wet season which could affect the tournament, according to reports, hence the idea of moving it back to the original period.