Egypt will host the 2019 African Nations Cup finals, the Confederation of African Football confirmed after a meeting of their executive committee in Dakar on Tuesday.
They will stage the expanded 24-team event in June-July after initial hosts Cameroon were stripped of the tournament last month over concerns at the slow pace of preparations.
It would be recalled that the Executive Committee members were initially set to vote in Dakar on Wednesday but did so 24 hours earlier.
Egypt and South Africa were the only two countries to put forward their candidacies to replace Cameroon, which was stripped of hosting rights late last year.
This will be the first time there will be 24 teams at the tournament.
CAF, after several inspection visits over the last two years, said Cameroon would not be ready in time.
However, South African Football Association (SAFA) General Secretary Russell Paul had in high expectations told Reuters on Tuesday that it was ready to host the event tomorrow if needs be and plans to use the infrastructure built for the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup if it is awarded the tournament.
Morocco had been the favourite to step in after repeatedly promising to do so if needed, but then surprisingly said it was not interested once Cameroon was stripped of hosting rights.
