Tanzania: 'TFF Didn't Bid for AFCON'

TANZANIA was not among countries that put forward bids to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed.

A statement released on Tuesday by the continental football governing body revealed a list of seven countries that applied for the hosting rights of the 2017 AFCON finals.

Ironically, Tanzania does not make the list despite the local football federation's claim that it had formally submitted its bid to host the 2017 edition of the continent's premium competition.

CAF named Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Sudan and Zimbabwe as the only countries that met the September 30 deadline to submit their plans for the event and confirm their interest in hosting the tournament.

"By the deadline of 30 September, 2014, the Confederation Africaine de Football received applications from seven Member Associations for the hosting rights of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations," read a statement posted on CAF website.

"The seven in alphabetical order are: Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Sudan and Zimbabwe." Contrastingly, a senior TFF official said last month: "As Tanzania we have already submitted our bid to CAF and they have confirmed receiving it and the joint bid with Kenya consolidates our chances of being granted the right to host the 2017 AFCON."

And the federation on Tuesday issued a statement saying CAF has rejected Tanzania's bid to play host to the continent's biggest football event.

TFF claimed that the Cairo-based body had informed them it would be impossible for Tanzania to host AFCON finals on grounds that the nation has not conducted a single youth tournament before.

However, of those bidding, Kenya and Zimbabwe have not hosted continental tournaments before and had their bids received despite CAF stating that the contest was limited to countries that have previously hosted top football tournaments.

While the eventual host will be known in 2015, CAF announced that due to the lateness, only countries with standard stadia, accommodation, communication and training facilities will be considered.

The TFF said after the 2017 AFCON setback, they were now turning their focus on hosting the 2019 edition of the U-17 youth finals.

TFF believes that winning a bid to host the 2019 U-17 CAF finals will open doors for the country to host other major continental tournaments in the future.

The government had reportedly approved Tanzania's bid to host the AFCON finals and TFF acknowledged and commended President Jakaya Kikwete and the Minister of Information, Youth, Culture and Sports Fenella Mukangara for backing their bid plan.

Libya were scheduled to host the tournament after switching the 2013 AFCON with South Africa but finally dropped out following increased unrest in that country.

While the North African candidates have a good opportunity to retain the tournament in the zone, Egypt might be considered not safe enough to host the tournament considering the political upheaval there.

Ghana co-hosted with Nigeria in 2000 and went alone in 2008 and could still use many of the facilities from that period. Kenya would hope to take it to East Africa with the argument that the region, with the slowest growth of the game on the continent, could benefit greatly from hosting the competition.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe hosting the competition could help to announce the country's return to international reckoning after several years of sanctions crippled the economy of the land once referred to as Africa's food basket.

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