Uganda mulls joint bid to host Cup of Nations

Kampala - The Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) on Wednesday said it plans to garner regional support to jointly host the coveted Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

FUFA vice-president Mujib Kasule said they are going to use the forthcoming 2012 Council for East and Central African Football Associations Senior Challenge Cup to lobby for support, reports Xinhua.

Defending champion Uganda will host the Nov 24-Dec 6 tournament that will bring together national teams from Tanzania, Rwanda, Sudan, Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Zanzibar and Kenya.

Kasule said it is possible to host the AFCON event if Uganda and Kenya jointly launch a bid noting that the chances are higher since jointly the two countries can meet the demands needed by the Confederation of African Football, the continent’s football governing body.

“We have the talent in the region and we have what it takes to host if we put in a joint bid,” Kasule said.

Ethiopia and Sudan are the only countries in the region that have hosted Africa’s biggest football showpiece since it was started. Sudan staged the event in 1962 and 1970 while the Ethiopians played host in 1968 and 1976.

If Uganda and Kenya agree on launching a joint bid, they may have to wait longer to host if successful. The 2015 edition is already awarded to Morocco and the 2017 edition allocated to Libya.