Reports indicate Ivory Coast to withdraw as host of 2025 U-20 AFCON

Media reports are indicating that the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has notified the governing body of African football, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), that the West African nation has withdrawn as host of the upcoming 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

The letter which has been making rounds in local media, authored by FIF Executive Director Armand Gohourou and addressed to CAF, forwarded the message from the Ivorian government and FIF president Yacine Idriss Diallo of the country’s withdrawal:

If confirmed, the news is a major blow to the competition which is set to begin in a month. This is one of Africa’s major competitions and renowned for the high attention it draws from scouts around the world, this news will leave CAF scrambling to find a new host at the last minute to avoid a cancellation of the finals.

In addition, the tournament is set to serve as the qualifying competition for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup hosted by Chile beginning in late September. The world of African football will be watching to see if CAF confirms the news today as well as its plans for saving this year’s edition of the tournament.