MNINAWA NTLOKO: Shenanigans aplenty behind deciding African Nations Cup hosts

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Ahmad Ahmad and his merry men are on the lookout for a sugar daddy with deep pockets and they’ve once again cast a few longing glances in our direction. You see, CAF stripped Cameroon of the rights to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) a few days ago and a new benefactor who can accommodate 24 nations at short notice — in six months to be exact — would do just fine. Concerns over security and delays in preparations in Cameroon for the event made CAF nervous and the suits decided to pull the plug. Now this is where things become decidedly muddled. Morocco was immediately touted as the automatic choice to replace Cameroon as host moments after CAF confirmed the decision, and many pointed to their rather cosy relationship with Ahmad as the reason for the sentiment. But things have moved into intriguing terrain. A little birdie tells me that CAF is divided into two factions: there’s a group that backs the Ahmad and Morocco axis,...