Media reports are indicating that the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has notified the governing body of African football, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), that the West African nation has withdrawn as host of the upcoming 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
The letter which has been making rounds in local media, authored by FIF Executive Director Armand Gohourou and addressed to CAF, forwarded the message from the Ivorian government and FIF president Yacine Idriss Diallo of the country's withdrawal:
“President Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of the FIF and COCAN U20, hereby informs you that, by official letter, the Government has notified the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) of the withdrawal of Côte d’Ivoire as host country of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations. In accordance with the instructions of the President of the FIF, the Executive Director transmitted this information to the Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) this Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The President wishes to express his deep gratitude to everyone for their commitment and the work accomplished in organizing this competition and will reassure you that everyone will be informed of the follow-up that CAF will give to this situation.”
If confirmed, the news is a major blow to the competition which is set to begin in a month. This is one of Africa's major competitions and renowned for the high attention it draws from scouts around the world, this news will leave CAF scrambling to find a new host at the last minute to avoid a cancellation of the finals.
In addition, the tournament is set to serve as the qualifying competition for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup hosted by Chile beginning in late September. The world of African football will be watching to see if CAF confirms the news today as well as its plans for saving this year's edition of the tournament.
Comments