EGYPT wins 16 out of 18 VOTES to Host The 2019 African Cup of Nations

Egypt has been granted the hosting rights of the 2019 African Cup of Nations after winning a majority of votes in Tuesday’s meeting of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Egypt obtained 16 out of 18 votes, with only one vote going to sole rival South Africa, while the remaining voting country abstained.

The African football governing body said on Monday that the executive committee’s meeting, in the Senegalese capital Dakar, to decide the host country has been moved forward just one day without giving reasons.

Last December, Cameroon was stripped of the right to host the 2019 African Cup of Nations due to both serious delays in its preparations for the cup and the persistence of a violent separatist uprising near two of the planned venues.

Following the decision on stripping the West African nation of the right to host, CAF opened a new bidding process.

Egypt and South Africa were the only two countries to submit their candidacy to become 2019 host.

The 2019 AFCON is scheduled to take place from 15 June to 13 July, having been moved from January/February to avoid club-versus-country clashes.

Egypt has already hosted four editions of the cup: in 1959, 1974, 1986 and 2006.

South Africa organized the 2013 edition.

The Pharaohs have won the prestigious competition seven times.

This year’s edition has seen major innovations, with the tournament expanded to 24 teams up from 16, and moved to a summer schedule instead of its former January-February calendar.