Sports News of Wednesday, 25 April 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-04-25
CAF President Ahmad Ahmad
Confederation of African Football President, Ahmad, has offered his support for Morocco’s bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The North African country are competing against a joint bid from North America’s three most powerful nations – USA, Canada and Mexico.
Morocco has previously failed in bids to host the 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2010 editions of the global showpiece.
According to the Malagasy, Morocco has all the facilities to stage a fantastic tournament.
“Africa is the second biggest confederation in the world but have only hosted the tournament once before [South Africa 2010],” Ahmad told the media in Ghana after being conferred with an honorary Doctorate Degree by the University of Professional Studies, Accra.
“We know the benefits of hosting this competition and we are supporting the king of Morocco to make Africa proud because his country has the facilities to organize it.
“Nobody can say now that Africa is not ready to host the world cup. We are ready,” Ahmad said.
This is not the first time Ahmad has openly declared his support for Morocco’s bid despite FIFA’s bid regulations barring officials from publicly declaring their support for a particular bid.
Ahmad said during Caf’s 40th General Assembly in Casablanca in February: “I won’t be neutral, I can tell you what I want – when others are asked I will let them reply as they wish,” as quoted by the BBC.
Last week, in an interview with AFP, Ahmad urged Europe to vote for Morocco’s bid and promised to return the favor when a European nation bids for the competition in future.
Ahmad reiterated that point to the Ghanaian media in Accra, saying: “Most of the countries in Caf believe that we have to all vote [for Morocco] and we have to convince countries in other confederations to help us host this tournament in 2026.”
The hosts of the 2026 World Cup will be chosen by a vote of all 211 member associations of Fifa on 13 June, the eve of the 2018 World Cup in Moscow.
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