7 January 2019 – SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan is in Senegal to attend to, amongst other things, the CAF Awards and the decision on who will host the 2019 AFCON tournament.

The CAF Awards will take place tomorrow (Tuesday, 8 January 2019) in the Senegalese capital of Dakar.

The following day (Wednesday, 9 January 2019) CAF will make the announcement on who between South Africa and Egypt will replace Cameroon as the 2019 hosts.

CAF stripped Cameroon of the rights to host AFCON next year after the Central African country was deemed far from being ready to host the event which now will consist of 24 teams.

The AFCON tournament has been expanded from 16 to 24 teams and will now take place from June as from next year. After several inspections, CAF took the decision late last year (2018) that Cameroon was not ready to host the expanded tournament, leaving South Africa and Egypt as replacement candidates.

Joining Dr Jordaan in Senegal are Head coach of the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana Desiree Ellis and striker Thembi Kgatlana.

The duo is in line for CAF awards – Ellis for Coach of the Year, and will also be hoping that South Africa retains the Team of the Year trophy they won last year.

Kgatlana is vying for the top title of the CAF Woman Player of the Year – and will have to fight off the challenge of Nigerian duo of Asisat Oshoala and Fransisca Ordega. This is Kgatlana’s second consecutive nomination for the same award – which she lost to Oshoala.

Noko Matlou is the only South Africa to have won that award in 2008.

Kgatlana is also competing for the CAF Goal of the Year award for her goal when Banyana Banyana defeated Nigeria 1-0 in their opening match of the 2018 Women’s AFCON held in Ghana in November.

The goal which saw Banyana Banyana defeat Nigeria in the opening game of the competition, also earned Kgatlana the Player of the Match of Award.

The Goal of the Year winner will be decided via online public voting.