Cameroon was on Friday stripped of hosting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations due to delays in preparing for the continental showpiece, organisers the Confederation of African Football announced.
"Today we took the decision to withdraw the 2019 CAN from Cameroon" CAF president Ahmad Ahmad told a press conference in Accra, seven months before the 2019 opening match.South Africa and Morocco are two frontline contenders to step in as hosts for the event -- expanded to 24 teams for the first time -- in place of Cameroon, who won the last edition in 2017 in Gabon.
South Africa is the only African country to stage a World Cup, in 2010, and last staged the Cup of Nations in 2013
In 1995 Kenya withdrew as hosts, citing financial difficulties, with South Africa stepping in and going on to be crowned champions.
South Africa also took over holding the 2013 tournament after original hosts Libya had pulled out two years earlier because of the armed conflict then raging in the country.
Equitorial Guinea stepped in to the breach in 2015 when original hosts Morocco had appealed in vain for the competition to be delayed because of the Ebola epidemic.
The 2019 event is scheduled for June 15-July 13, a change from its traditional January-February slot.
And it will be the first to feature 24 teams -- up from 16 at the 2017 edition in Gabon.
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