The joint bid by Nigeria and neighbours, Benin Republic is expected to win the hosting right of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Executive Committee of CAF is to vote on the bids for both 2025 and 2027 in Cairo on Wednesday.
With Morocco virtually guaranteed the honour for the 2025 finals, the joint bid by Nigeria and Republic of Benin is in contest with Senegal, Egypt, Botswana and a tripartite arrangement of Uganda/Kenya/Tanzania for the 2027 event.
Nigeria has put forward the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja; Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt; Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo; Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos; Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna; Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba; Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City and; Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano. In the Republic of Benin, the Stade Mathieu Kerekou in Cotonou and the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo are listed.
On Wednesday, before the vote is taken by the CAF Executive Committee, the bidding nations will have 10 minutes to make a presentation, with the Nigeria/Benin case to be canvassed by veteran broadcaster and experienced bid campaigner, Mainasara Illo.
Illo, who was deputy chief organizer of the 8th All-Africa Games that Nigeria hosted in 2003, and chief organizer of the FIFA U17 World Cup also hosted by Nigeria in 2009, led a bid coordinating team that has taken two different CAF inspection teams round Nigeria’s stadia infrastructure and other facilities, and will make a case that is a hybrid of strong oratory appeal and multi-media presentation.