Being selected over South Africa gives us much confidence: Sobhy

CAIRO - 8 January 2018: CAF Executive Committee announced on Tuesday that Egypt will host the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) matches.
Egypt won the rights to host the tournament after being selected over South Africa.

Minister of Youth and Sports, Ashraf Sobhy, commented on Tuesday after winning the bid, saying " We won over South Africa which organized 2010 FIFA World Cup and that gives us much confidence."

Egypt gained 16 votes from CAF Executive Committee members while South Africa received only one vote.

Sobhy added "We prepared our bid package in just two days and got the confirmation from the government to submit. We have all the facilities and infrastructure needed to organize the tournament."

The 2019 African Cup of nations was initially scheduled to be hosted by Cameroon. However, Cameroon was stripped of hosting the tournament for serious delays in preparations.

Egypt hosted four African Cup of nations tournaments in 1959, 1974, 1986 and 2006 and they failed to achieve the title only in 1974.