The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has successfully submitted its bid to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Association’s communications manager Sydney Mungala has confirmed to Bolanews that FAZ has successfully submitted the bid as advised by the government through its Ministry of Sports.
“The bid was sent. We expressed interest and we were advised to submit documentation which we have done,” he said.
Mungala disclosed that the process is not entirely dependent on FAZ, as the government has to make guarantees to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) if the bid is to be successful.
“This is a process that is really not entirely dependent on FAZ; we also have to work closely with the government because, ultimately, they have to make certain guarantees if this bid is going to take off.
“They (the government) are willing to give it a shot; they have indicated a willingness to make it happen.” “Where we are at is just the submission, and the bids will be evaluated because it’s not just us who are interested in hosting the tournament,” said the FAZ spokesperson.
Following the stripping of Guinea’s hosting rights for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations due to concerns over the lack of proper infrastructure and facilities, CAF set November 11, 2022, as the deadline for countries to officially declare interest in hosting the showpiece.
FAZ then submitted their bid after the permanent secretary of the country’s ministry of youth, sport, and arts, Chileshe Kangwa, told the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper last month that the government is interested in bidding for the hosting rights of the 35th edition of the Africa Cup.
Meanwhile, CAF set December 16, 2022, as the deadline for submission of all finalized bids, including documents, proposed host cities, and government guarantees, at their headquarters in Cairo before their inspection team tours bidding countries from January 5 to 25, next year.
CAF is expected to announce the successful country or co-hosts to stage the 2025 finals on February 10, 2023.
This is the second time in the last decade that FAZ has submitted a bid to host the Africa Cup after their failed attempt in 2013 for the 2019 tournament.
Zambia previously hosted a CAF tournament using only two ultra-modern stadiums, the Heroes National Stadium in Lusaka and the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, when they staged the 2017 under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, which they won, and will look to be the successful bidder for the 2025 AFCON.
