FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently revealed that he intends to encourage co-hosting of the 2026 world cup, he said “[We could]…maybe bring together two, three, four countries who can jointly present a project with three, four, five stadia each. We will certainly encourage it”.
This statement reminds me of Uncle Segun Odegbami’s article of January 14, 2017 in Daily Trust entitled, “A New Year, A New FIFA and A New World Cup”. I must admit that uncle Segun’s articles are always a must read like other Daily Trust columnists. Underneath is my suggestion to Mathematical Odegbami. I wish to refer to your highly incisive piece mentioned above. Your emphasis, sir, was on hosting the 2030 FIFA Fiesta by West African countries these are Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire. However, I would like to suggest that the tournament be made a West and Central African affair. Based on what the FIFA President said, this gives room for West and Central Africa to take a shot at it in 2026.
The Republic of Benin and Togo can be substituted with Cameroon and Gabon from Central Africa. The venues can be shared thus: Nigeria 5, Ghana 2, Cote D’Ivoire 2, Cameroon 2 and Gabon 1.
There are a number of reasons for my humble suggestion. Sub-Saharan Africa, especially Black Africa is seen as one in the eyes of the rest of the world. Thus, there is no reason for us to emphasize hosting by West Africa only; we should bring on board another contiguous sub-region. FIFA and CAF will prefer this latter arrangement of hosting from five different countries in two sub-regions (first of its kind).
Cameroon and Gabon deserve a slot for different reasons. Cameroon has won the AFCON five times; the most recent in February 2017. It has produced some of Africa’s best players namely: Roger Milla, Thomas Nkono, Oman Biyick, Rigobert Song and Samuel Eto’o Fils amongst others. Oil rich Gabon has the economic wherewithal, it is also on record that it has hosted other soccer events in the past successfully like: a co-host nation of AFCON in 2012, French super cup in 2013 and in 2017 Gabon hosted the AFCON Championship. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is a Gabonese and was the African best player in 2015.
In conclusion, South Africa hosting of the World Cup in 2010 represented Southern Africa. The proposed hosting in 2026 by Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon and Gabon would represent West and Central Africa. North and East Africa can co-host another FIFA world cup when it is Africa’s turn after 2026 – probably 2046. This gives a sense of belonging to all the five sub-regions of Africa in hosting the World Cup between 2010 and 2046.
Khalifa Musa Muhammad, Kaduna
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