Nigeria has practically foreclosed all hopes of hosting the 1999 Under-17 World Cup by dissolving the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the tournament, the local press reported Monday. Sports Minister Abdulrahman Gimba reportedly sent a letter to all members of the LOC at the weekend to inform them of the dissolution, thus signalling the final death knell for the hosting. The Nigerian government has decided not to host the two-yearly age-group competition, saying it could not afford the 37 billion naira hosting cost and that the tournament was not its priority. The decision to ditch the tournament has elicited angry reactions from many, including the President of the African Football Confederation (CAF), Issa Hayatou, who described it as an embarrassment to CAF and the entire African continent. Hayatou asked the Nigerian government to reconsider the decision. Indications are that Mexico will now host the tournament, after the country informed world soccer’s governing body FIFA that it was ready to host. Nigeria successfully hosted the more prestigious World Youth Championship in 1999.
