• Guinea will not host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
• CAF President Patrice Motsepe made the announcement in Conakry.
• Guinean President Mamady Doumbouya had pledged to honor the hosting pledge.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe declared in Conakry on Friday that Guinea would not host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations because the country’s infrastructure is not yet ready.

“We are not ready as of yet in Guinea… and we should reopen the process” of allowing prospective host countries to bid, Motsepe said in a press conference.

Motsepe stated that the decision by CAF was made in July.

“I had insisted that that message should not go public — I should come personally here,” he said.

Saturday will see a CAF executive committee meeting.

This is the latest setback for the most significant athletic event on the continent.

In 2014, CAF awarded Cameroon the 2019 tournament, Ivory Coast the 2021 tournament, and Guinea the 2023 tournament.

The CAF then changed the schedule, awarding Cameroon the 2021 edition, which was held this year, and Ivory Coast the 2023 event.

Then, Guinea agreed to host the 2025 edition.

This is a big blow to Guinea as well. Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power in a coup in September 2021, was adamant about honoring the hosting pledge.

The event was always going to be a significant challenge for one of the world’s poorest countries, which is severely lacking in sports facilities and transportation infrastructure.

“Tomorrow, CAF is going to be asked to receive new bids because where we are now, the infrastructure and the facilities are not appropriate or ready,” Motsepe added.

The president of the CAF was due to meet with Doumbouya on Friday, according to a visit itinerary provided by the Guinean federation.

Motsepe’s visit followed a mission by the CAF to inspect the project’s progress in early September.

This tour sparked rumors that CAF may withdraw Guinea as host or delay the competition until 2026 or 2027.

Motsepe is scheduled to attend a press conference in Algiers on Saturday, following an executive meeting of the CAF.

In March, Doumbouya removed the last organizing team, of which one member had publicly questioned the project’s viability.

Doumbouya signed an order to design the 2025 African Cup of Nations of national interest and priority.”

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