SAFA says SA will host 2013 AFCON

The South African Football Association has revealed that an agreement has been reached between the football governing bodies of South Africa and Libya, which will see the two countries swap the hosting of the 2013 and the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Libya is going through a civil as rebels are gunning for the ouster of Africa's longest serving regime led by Colonel Muamar Gaddafi. As such the prospects of the country being on time to preapre for the 2013 finals are becoming deemer by each passing day.

The two football associations in Libya and South Africa have agreed to swap the hosting rights.

“In terms of the agreement, Libya will host the 2017 Afcon, which had been awarded to South Africa, while Safa will take over the hosting of the 2013 Afcon tournament as well as the 2014 African Nations Championships (CHAN), which was supposed to be played in Libya.

“The agreement comes following the political upheaval in Libya, but is subject to ratification by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at its next Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday, 28th September 2011 in Cairo, Egypt,” reads a Safa statement.

There is no better time for South Africa to host the AFCON finals than now when the fortunes of the nation in football appear to be getting better ever since the 2010 Fifa World Cup and the subsequent appointment of local coach Pitso Mosimane.

Bafana Bafana, the nation's leading soccer brand, is doing very well on the Fifa rankings, currently sitting on 47th place in the world and being ranked 7th best on continent.

When the country last hosted the AFCON finals in 1996, Bafana Bafana won the cup and it becomes the only time the team lifted the coveted trophy on the continent, despite being Africa's leading economy.

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