CAF and Egypt Set Up Special Committee for AFCON Prep

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Government of Egypt have set up a special committee to address security concerns ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The AFCON tournament is scheduled to take place in Egypt later this month. However, security concerns have plagued preparations. In the past clashes alongside matches in the country have resulted in fatalities. While there is now a requirement for security to be in place for fixtures, constraints on their availability have frequently resulted in postponements. Fans attending domestic games must provide their details to the security services in order to gain entry. 

Speaking on the measures CAF President Ahmad Ahmad stated, “The Egyptian government and CAF have for the first time implemented a security committee and they will continue to work together to try and make sure that nothing will happen.”

Egypt was selected to host the tournament to replace Cameroon in January of this year. Cameroon was originally due to host but suspended as a result of infrastructure delays and security concerns. Only Egypt and South Africa submitted bids.

The 2019 AFCON tournament it the first time the competition will see 24 nations participate. It will be the fourth time Egypt is hosting the tournament.