CAF delegation to inspect Nest of Champions, Uyo and four others for 2023 AFCON
A CAF delegation is expected in Uyo for inspection of the 35000 capacity Nest of Champions in view of the Nigeria/Benin Republic 2025 AFCON hosting bid.
Guinea were initially awarded hosting rights for the tournament but that has since been withdrawn by the Confederation of African Football.
With the 2023 edition expected in January 2024 to be hosted by Ivory Coast, CAF has begun it’s search for hosts of the 2025 tournament.
West African neighbors Nigeria and Benin Republic submitted a joint bid to host the tournament and are joined in the race by Morroco, Algeria and Zambia.
The CAF delegation is already in Nigeria for the inspection and will be at the Nest of Champions, Uyo officially known as the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Sunday April 2, for inspection of the stadium and other facilities.
As confirmed by veteran journalist and sports administrator Elder Paul Bassey, the team will arrive Uyo by 12-noon on Sunday to begin the inspection tour.
Other Nigeria cities identified as possible hosts of the 2025 AFCON are; Abuja, Asaba and Benin City.
Unlike their proposed co-hosts, Nigeria has previously hosted the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, the last in 2000 alongside Ghana.
If the Nigeria/Benin Republic 2025 AFCON hosting bid succeeds, the Nest of Champions and the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja will be considered as venue for the opening and final games.
The Nest of Champions, Uyo hosted the CAF Confederation Cup Final in 2022 and has recently been inspected by a FIFA and CAF delegation as possible venue for CAF Super League matches.
After the inspection, the Nest Of Champions Uyo was hailed as one of Africa`s best by the FIFA/CAF Inspection team.