President of the Confederation of African Football Ahmad Ahmad has praised Niger for the successful hosting of the U-20 Cup of Nations.
The U-20 Cup of Nations ended over the weekend with Mali emerging as champions after defeating Senegal 3-2 on penalties.
Despite a few challenges faced at the early stages of the competition, Niger pulled up a successful tournament.
"Unlike senior tournaments this is a developmental competition where you have to build youth football. It is in this sense that the U-17 and U-20 Africa Cup of Nations exist - to allow the young players to express themselves and flourish," he told Cafonline.com
"These are events that grab world’s attention especially scouts, who have been evergreen at this tournament. It is a competition that is also important for the host country because it allows them to develop their sporting infrastructure.
"Today, in addition to the stadium of Niamey, Niger can now host international competitions in the city of Maradi, where the stadium meets international standards. Previously, it was only Niamey which had the capacity to host such matches. I take this opportunity to thank the President of the Republic of Niger, His Excellency Mahamadou Issoufou, for providing the means to meet the challenges of this Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Niger 2019," he concluded.