By Lusekero Mhango

Following the withdrawal of Cameroon as hosts of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, the nation will instead host the 2021 edition.

The decision comes as something of a surprise as the 2021 AFCON was already scheduled to be held in Ivory Coast.

However, CAF have instead decided to allow Cameroon another chance to do the honours.

In a statement, Africa’s football governing body said “Cameroon has officially accepted to host the Afcon 2021 through an official letter addressed to CAF. [It is] signed by the Cameroonian Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya.”

However, Ivory Coast are not completely satisfied with the decision and have submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

As a response, it is believed that they will now host the 2023 AFCON which was previously scheduled to be held in Guinea who may be pushed back to the following edition.

In the meantime, the 2019 AFCON will be held in either South Africa or Egypt who are the only countries to apply to host in Cameroon’s absence, with a decision set to be made at the start of the year.