A team from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) began a fourth evaluation mission in Cameroon this week ahead of the AFCON2019 which is scheduled to kick off in June next year.
It is unclear if this would be the final technical inspection of infrastructure meant for the tournament, but local officials believe it would be a ‘decisive mission’.
Four of the six venues hosting the competition, Yaoundé, Garoua, Bafoussam, Douala, will undergo CAF’s scrutiny once more, with a ‘final decision’ to be rendered at the end of visit on Thursday, according to CAF.
The continent’s football governing body has highlighted delays at several levels, ranging from construction and renovation of stadiums and training facilities to accommodation and security.
The local organising committee (COCAN) is confident that Cameroon would be ready to host the biennial tournament but is yet to completely wipe out CAF’s concerns.
ACLsports’ source at the ministry of sports says it would be difficult for CAF to move the 2019 AFCON from the central African nation due to time factor.
“We know CAF are worried, but we have progressed very fast since their previous visit and have almost overcome the difficulties they raised. The time left is enough to complete what’s left to do ahead of the competition,” said the source, which is not allowed to speak ahead of COCAN’s periodic media briefing.
“I don’t think Cameroon would be stripped of the hosting right. Time is too short.”