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[color=blue]Nigeria has had a dramatic shift in thinking with regard to hosting the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Libya is currently due to host the finals but its ability to do so has
been cast into serious doubt because of the ongoing conflict
there.
On Thursday, 2017 hosts South Africa announced that they had agreed to swap Nations Cup
tournaments with Libya.
Nigeria initially backed the idea
before making a U-turn on Friday
as it claimed its 'rights as stand-
by hosts'.
"The board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) wish
South Africa all the best," NFF
spokesman Ademola Olajire had
told BBC Sport on Thursday.
"The decision between both
countries must be applauded
and respected by all."
However, in a statement released
on Friday, the NFF revealed that it
has written to the Confederation
of African Football (Caf) to remind
the body of the decision it took
in 2006.
Due to announce the hosts of the
2010 finals from a shortlist of
five countries, Angola won the
2010 finals, Equatorial Guinea
and Gabon 2012, Libya 2014 -
while Nigeria were officially put
on stand-by.
This was in the event that any of
the original hosts were unable to
stage the finals.
"However, the reality of the situation on the ground in Libya
means that they can not possible
play host to a football
tournament the magnitude and
importance of the Africa Cup of
Nations," the NFF said in a statement.
"We are aware of this fact, aware
of the resolution of 6 September
2006, and are prepared to
exercise our rights as standby
hosts for the 2013 Africa Cup of
Nations. "We would like [Caf] to call to
order the football association of
Libya, and make them realize that
it is not in their hands to decide who to bequeath hosting rights of the Africa Cup of Nations.
"It is the prerogative of CAF, and since we have not indicated
anything to the contrary, we reserve the right to step in and start making preparations to
host a successful competition in
2013."
For its part, Caf has said it will not
make any decision on Libya's ability to host the 2013 finals,
nor any potential replacement, until late September. When Nigeria last staged the
Nations Cup, along with Ghana in 2000, the West African nation profited from the late inability of
scheduled venue Zimbabwe to host African football's premier event.
Nigeria last staged the Nations Cup in 2000, as a co-host alongside fellow West Africans
Ghana, and reached the final only to lose to Cameroon on penalties We reserve the right to
step in and start making preparations to host a successful competition in
2013[/color]
what do you have to say as regarding to this.
The source of the above new is
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14688335.stm
