CAF President Wants Nigeria To Host FIFA World Cup As He Confirms Tinubu Will Attend 2023 AFCON Final

The President of the Confederation of Africa Football, Patrice Motsepe has urged Nigeria to bid for the FIFA World Cup as he confirmed that the country’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will attend the final of the 2023 AFCON.

At 9 p.m. on Sunday, February 11, the host of the 2023 AFCON, Ivory Coast, and the Super Eagles of Nigeria will clash in the final of the tournament at the Alassanne Ouattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan.

Initial reports claimed that the vice president of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima will attend the final. Recall that the vice president was in attendance when the Super Eagles defeated South Africa via penalties in the semi-final on Wednesday, February 7.

During a press conference at the Palace de la Culture in Trechville, Abidjan on Friday, reporters asked Motsepe when a country in Africa will host the FIFA World Cup again. And the South African football administrator said Nigeria should bid for it.

He went further to reveal that he would discuss the possibility with President Tinubu when he attends the 2023 AFCON final on Sunday.

The CAF president said, “Nigeria must put in a bid. The Nigerian president (Bola Tinubu) is coming to watch the final on Sunday. I will have a conversation with him about it.”

Recall that the first and the last time an African country hosted the FIFA World Cup was in 2010 in South Africa. Since then, the tournament has traveled to Brazil, Russia, and Qatar.

The next edition of the tournament (2026) will take place in three countries in North America, Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

As for the 2030 edition of the tournament, FIFA has given the hosting rights to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

The opening game of the World Cup will take place in Uruguay, while Argentina and Paraguay will also play their opening games in their respective countries.

Hence, the 2030 FIFA World Cup which will be used to mark the 100th anniversary of the tournament, will be the first edition to be hosted in three continents, South America, Europe, and Africa, simultaneously.

The 2034 World Cup hosting rights have already been given to Saudi Arabia which means that the most likely edition that will come to Africa is the 2038 FIFA World Cup.