The tournament was finally arranged for 18 to 29 September 2002, to be held in Ivorian cities Abidjan and Bouaké, with the latter venue being added at the last moment. Unfortunately, one day into the tournament on 19 September, the First Ivorian Civil War broke out, leading to an indefinite postponement of the competition with the teams stranded in the country. The teams lodged in Bouaké were trapped there for over a week before being able to leave. Following this, the tournament would eventually be cancelled.