The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) believes that Zambia’s bid to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations stands a very good chance because following the government’s backing.
The Association’s spokesperson, Sydney Mugala has revealed in a statement that as one of its guarantees to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the government has informed FAZ that it will build a 20,000-seater capacity stadium from scratch in Livingstone, the nation’s tourist hub.
“Government has agreed to build from scratch in Livingstone a 20, 000-capacity stadium, which will already be supported by top-class accommodation as well as an international airport,” he said.
A minimum of six stadiums are required in order to host the tournament, and Zambia has two CAF-certified venues in National Heroes and Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.
Mugala further stated that four other existing stadiums will be upgraded to accommodate between 15,000 and 20,000 people.
The stadiums that will be upgraded to CAF standards include Nkoloma in Lusaka, Nchanga, Nkana, and Arthur Davies in the Copperbelt province.
CAF’s inspection team is expected to tour bidding countries from January 5 to 25, next year, before announcing on February 10, 2023, the successful country or co-hosts to stage the 2025 finals.
Bolanews is also reliably informed that CAF wants to avoid the embarrassment of awarding the event to countries that are “unable to raise good infrastructure and hospitality to show to the rest of the world,” so it will carefully choose the successful bidder.
Zambia has in the past hosted a CAF tournament when they staged the 2017 under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, which they won, and will look to emerge as the successful bidders for the 2025 AFCON after Guinea were stripped of the rights to host the showpiece due to a lack of infrastructure.
