Hayatou defends Cameroon amid CAN criticism

Paris (AFP) – Former Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou on Tuesday slammed his successor Ahmad Ahmad over claims that Cameroon is not ready to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Malagasy Ahmad, who ended Hayatou’s 29-year reign as CAF president last March, had said that the country’s infrastructure “wasn’t ready” to host the 2019 CAN and even suggested he may open a bidding process to other countries to help stage the event.

“He (Ahmad) has to first come to see before speaking as he did,” Cameroonian Hayatou, 71, told French radio station RFI.

“Cameroon already has five stadiums, not to mention the ones which are in the process of being built. Nobody can say that Cameroon has done nothing. We’re ahead of schedule.

“We have two years to go, you cannot judge Cameroon’s ability to organise the CAN two years off,” added Hayatou.

Ahmad added that a CAF inspection committee will visit Cameroon from August 20-28 to evaluate “if we can organise this CAN”.

Cameroon’s football federation expressed their “consternation” on Monday following Ahmad’s criticism.