Uganda drop Afcon hosting bid plans

Uganda has abandoned bidding plans for the 2019 and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

The FA’s Vice President –in-charge of the league and chairman of the technical committee, Mujib Kasule told MTNFootball.com that they have abandoned plans to bid because of lack of readiness.

Last September the FA had expressed interest in making a joint bid with Kenya to host an Afcon event.

“We tried to speak to the government early this year about that idea because their support is very important if a country is to hosts such a big tournament, but they were also not eager to have it come to Uganda yet,” said Kasule.

The FA tried to garner for regional support during the 2012 regional Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup hosted in Kampala and several member countries gave them the go ahead. “We shall wait and try to bid some other time when we are ready and the government is also eager to push this project forward,” added Kasule.

Kenya has also expressed interest in bidding to host the Afcon, but the FA went silent after some internal administrative wrangling.

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.

While Uganda will not bid, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has set November 25th  as the final date of receiving bids by any nation bidding to host the 2019 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2018 and 2020 editions of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).