Status of Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in doubt less than 2 weeks before start in Morocco

CAIRO (AP) — Doubts over Morocco’s willingness to host the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in less than two weeks have prompted the Confederation of African Football to say it will clarify the matter in the coming days.

“There has been several discussions for weeks. The matter is receiving urgent and high level attention,” CAF’s communications chief Luxolo September said on the social network X on Wednesday.

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Morocco is due to host the tournament for the third time straight from March 17 to April 3, but reports that the country will withdraw have persisted despite CAF president Patrice Motsepe saying on Feb. 13 that the 16th edition of the tournament was to go ahead in the kingdom as planned.

“We still have an engagement with Morocco,” Motsepe said at the time, when he ruled out changing the dates because the tournament doubles as a qualifying event for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

South Africa previously offered to step in as host.

On Wednesday, South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie blasted Morocco for leaving the status of the tournament in doubt 13 days before it is due to begin.

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“If Morocco is ready to host the WAFCON because they had a brilliant AFCON, they should do so. But If they are not ready, we want to tell them, we are not a country with no stadiums, we are not a country with less infrastructure. We will never be held hostage by countries that have less than what we have,” McKenzie said. “We will not allow women to be treated in such a fashion.”

CAF expanded the tournament to 16 teams in a surprise decision in November.

Nigeria is the defending champion after coming back to beat Morocco 3-2 in the final last year.

Morocco also lost the final of the men’s Africa Cup to Senegal in January.

The ambitious kingdom is also a co-host for the men’s World Cup in 2030.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer