LONG before Zimbabwe expressed its interest in hosting the 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, there was always going to be doubts that we can pull this one off given the previous snub of not only this country, but the Southern Africa region by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), particularly its boss, Issa Hayatou.
Hayatou’s competence as CAF boss has always been in question, but it is his blatant bias towards West and North Africa that remains a concern.
In the 29 editions that the tournament has been held, the Southern Africa region has hosted the tournament a disappointing three times with South Africa hosting the finals for the second time in history, in 2013, by default after Libya, which had won the rights, was mired in war.
During Hayatou’s disastrous reign which spans more than two decades, the tournament has been held 13 times.
Out of these 13, only three have been hosted by Southern Africa.
The rest have been shared by West and North Africa.
In 2000 Zimbabwe got the first taste of this bias when for some strange reasons Hayatou overrode a CAF executive decision to award Harare the rights to host the AFCON tourney of that year.
Hayatou, who personally took away those rights, claimed that the country’s football governing body, ZIFA was ‘unprepared’ to host the tournament.
As expected the rights went to West Africa with Nigeria and Ghana co-hosting the tournament.
But how could a country that had successfully hosted the 6th All Africa Games some five years before now suddenly become ‘unprepared’ to host a 16-team tournament?
Our infrastructure, our stadia, our communication systems were all intact as they still are.
But what is Southern Africa’s crime?
“It is alleged that back in 1998, when incumbent FIFA President Sepp Blatter was being challenged by Sweden’s Lennart Johansson for the top post following Brazilian Joao Havelange’s retirement, Hayatou had instructed all of Africa’s 52-member representatives to vote for Johansson,” wrote The Sunday Mail columnist and veteran football analyst Charles Mabika this week.
It is further alleged not every nation followed this instruction — including Zimbabwe — who cast their vote for Blatter who went on to win.
Hayatou is said to have been livid at those who had been ‘disobedient’ and promised to ‘punish them forever’!
Even before this Hayatou’s anti-Southern Africa crusade began, the region had never been a favourite of CAF.
Disappointing is the fact that most of these countries in West Africa are dealing with security issues and political instability.
Burkina Faso hosted the tournament in 1998, Nigeria and Ghana in 2000, Mali 2002, Ghana 2008, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea 2012. 
Last week, Hayatou dealt us another blow when his CAF announced that future tournaments will now be hosted by previous hosts.
“Any member association proposing its country for the organisation of the African Cup of Nations finals must have organised the final tournament of at least one of the following competitions: The African Nations Championship (Chan); the Under-20 African Championship; the Under-17 African Championship; the African Women’s Championship and the Under-23 African Championship.”
But then, listen to this, the 2023 finals will be hosted by Guinea, who have never hosted the tournament before.
It is a shame that Hayatou has once again decided to snub Southern Africa.
This should serve as a yellow card for CAF.
Southern African countries, many of them, have better football infrastructure than West African nations. 
Surely CAF cannot tell us that Mali or Burkina Faso are more developed than Zimbabwe.
In the same vein, Hayatou cannot tell the world that Southern Africa which has better climatic conditions than his favoured West and North Africa do not have the right climate.
So Southern Africa continues to suffer because:
We are opposed to his treacherous reign?
We are more developed than his people?
We have advocated the reform of CAF?
What development has this man brought to African football apart from being biased?
He needs some serious contenders from the Southern region.
Zambia, who had reportedly presented a well-crafted document to host the 2019 edition, were unsuccessful as the nod was given to Cameroon.
And the three consecutive AFCONs namely, 2019, 2021 and 2023 will be held in West Africa in Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea respectively.
By the way Hayatou is a Cameroonian.
Critics say CAF bigwigs have an institutionalised bias against non-Arab and non-French speaking countries.
There is no doubt that the continental body’s prejudice against southern Africa runs deep.
It goes without saying that CAF must rotate hosting of AFCON and not what Hayatou has done.
CAF must balance the hosting of the tournament as Africa is not only made up of West Africa.
For 2019 he could have it West, 2021 Central and Southern Africa and the 2023 East Africa.
Its high time Hayatou brought an end to the madness at CAF.
The game surely cannot develop with people like him at the helm.
Let those with ears listen.