The hosting responsibility for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is up for grabs, and Ghana Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga believes that his country is the best placed to win the honour of welcoming Africa’s best national teams for the continent’s flagship competition.

Originally Libya was designated to be the host nation, but the difficult situation in the country and the constant struggle to overcome violence and political instability have meant that the North Africans were forced to relinquish their role as hosts.

This led to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) needing to find a new host for the 2017 edition of the Nations Cup, and while Egypt has now removed itself from consideration, the list of Ghana, Gabon and Algeria will be narrowed down to a final host nation in a couple of months.

Speaking about Ghana’s bid on radio, the Sports Minister displayed his confidence in their ability to hold the AFCON and the fact that he sees it as a better bid than those of the other two bidding countries.

“We have gone very far in our lobbying. If you were to ask me who the real contenders are, I would say Ghana. Other countries have made a strong case but clearly Ghana has made a strong case,” Ayariga told Ultimate FM.

CAF will announce the host of the 2017 AFCON on April 8, at which point Ayariga will know whether his nation needs to step up preparations to welcome Africa’s best, or simply focus on preparing the national team for the tournament in Algeria or Gabon.