Argentina to host 2011 Copa America

Argentina were chosen as hosts of the 2011 Copa America on Tuesday, a spokesman for the South American Football Confederation told AFP.

However Julio Grondona, president of the Argentinian Football Federation (AFA), said there were other priorities ahead of the hosting of South America's most prestigious football tournament.

“Our priority is to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa,” said Grondona, who recently appointed Argentina legend Diego Maradona as coach of the national side after a faltering start to their qualifying campaign.

“After that we can work on the 2011 Copa America.”

Grondona also revealed that Argentina would be inviting Japan to the Copa – the Japanese guested in the 1999 edition.

“We will discuss this invite for Japan – I'll see what the other South American countries think. If it comes off we will have 12 teams, including Mexico,” Grondona told told Del Plata radio.

But for now qualifying for the next World Cup is the priority.

Argentina are third in the 10-team qualifying group and are on course to qualify yet they only have one victory from their last seven matches – when they beat Uruguay 2-1 on October 11.

Several days after the Uruguay victory, Argentina lost to Chile for the first time in 35 years and that prompted then coach Alfio Basile to be removed from his post.