Nigeria targets 2019 Nations Cup

NIGERIA has accepted the decision of Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations hosting rights to South Africa after an arrangement with original host Libya got the body's blessing.The 2013 event has been taken from Libya and given to South Africa.Nigeria had been interested in taking on the tournament having been named as standby host when Libya was originally chosen.In bowing to CAF's decision, the country according to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will bid for the hosting rights of the 2019 edition of the championship.NFF President, Aminu Maigari said that having registered its displeasure over CAF's decision through the football governing body, Nigeria has given up and will look forward to winning the bid for the 2019 edition."We contested, we lost and we take it in the spirit of sportsmanship.''Asked if Nigeria had pressed its case firmly enough, Maigari - who travelled to Cairo to attend the CAF Executive Committee meeting which made the decision - said everything had been done."We followed all the channels possible, we have lobbied, we have pressed, we have written a series of letters - we have shown that we are competent to host."Maigari said that Nigeria wanted to take on another Nations Cup - having co-hosted with Ghana in 2000 and been full hosts in 1980, saying. "We want Nigeria to host because we are capable - we did it before and we want to do it better next time round."
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