South Africa’s announcement that they have agreed to replace Libya as hosts of the 2013 African Nations Cup finals is premature, the Confederation of African Football said on Friday.
CAF’s general secretary Hicham El Amrani said an agreement between South Africa and Libya to swap the dates of future tournaments they are to host still needed to be ratified by African football’s executive committee, which meets late next month in Cairo.
“We are disappointed that the South African Football Association has chosen to make public these discussions and plans before the matter is discussed by our executive committee,” El Amrani told Reuters.
“It would have been correct to have waited until it is discussed and ratified. It is premature and it has upset us that there has been this breach of protocol.”
South Africa, who hosted last year’s World Cup finals, made public on Thursday an agreement with Libya over the hosting of the 2013 and 2017 finals. They released a surprise brief statement on their website.
Libya were due to host the 2013 finals but have swapped with South Africa, who had been designated the 2017 event, after discussions between the two country’s football associations.
The conflict in Libya has halted almost all footballing activity in the country since March.
The next Nations Cup finals are to be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in January and February after which the tournament switches to every odd year.
Morocco are the hosts in 2015.
