Hany Abo Reida meets Infantino in France

CAIRO – 8 June 2019: Egyptian Football Association president, Hany Abo Reida, held a meeting with FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, to assure Egypt’s ability in organizing the 2019 AFCON.

Abo Reida, president of the 2019 AFCON Organizing Committee, met Infantino in France where FIFA World Cup for Women takes place.

Infantino praised Egypt’s preparations for the big event, represented in the Egyptian Government, the AFCON Organizing Committee and Volunteers.

The AFCON starts on June 21 and ends on July 19. The tournament takes place with the participation of 24 teams in six groups for the first time in the history of the African competition.

Egypt plays in Group A alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Egypt won the rights to host the tournament after being selected over South Africa.

The 2019 African Cup of Nations was initially scheduled to be hosted by Cameroon. However, Cameroon was stripped of hosting the tournament for serious delays in preparations.

Egypt is the most successful nation in the history of the competition as Egypt has won a record of seven titles including three in a row between 2006 and 2010.

Egypt previously hosted the African Cup of Nations in 1959, 1974, 1986 and 2006, and claimed seven AFCON victories.