© Reuters Limited 2001

JOHANNESBURG, July 10 (Reuters) - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will make a final inspection trip to Mali, hosts of next year's African Nations Cup finals, to finalise the venues for the tournament.

A seven-man delegation, led by CAF president Issa Hayatou, will visit the west African country from July 23-27, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The visit follows a similar inspection in January where a CAF delegation visited construction and restoration of proposed stadiums in the capital Bamako and the provincial cities of Kayes, Mopti, Segou and Sikasso.

Hayatou confirmed Mali would host the tournament after January's visit, despite speculation that the country would not be ready for the 16-team tournament that runs from January 19 to February 10, 2002.

But CAF reserved a final decision on the venues for the inspection this month. It is expected that at least one of the proposed venues will be dropped because of a lack of infra-structure. Qualifiers concluded last month with Mali (hosts), Cameroon (holders), Algeria, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia through to the finals.