AFCON host nation named

CAIRO. — Equatorial Guinea will host the 2015 African Nations Cup finals after Morocco was stripped of the event having asked for it to be postponed over fears of the spread of the Ebola virus, the Confederation of African Football said yesterday.

Oil-rich Spanish-speaking Equatorial Guinea, one of Africa’s smallest countries with a population of just over 600 000, hosted the 2012 finals with neighbours Gabon but will take on the 16-team tournament on its own from January 17 to February 8.

Morocco was on Tuesday stripped of the right to host the finals with the north African country also disqualified from taking part in the tournament after its request for a postponement was rejected by Caf.

Caf said the decision on the new hosts was made after a meeting in Malabo yesterday between Equatorial Guinea’s president Teodoro Obiang and Caf president Issa Hayatou.

“The head of state of Equatorial Guinea agreed to host the competition. As a result, the Caf executive committee confirm that the tournament will go ahead and Equatorial Guinea will compete as the host nation,” a statement from African soccer’s governing body said.

Equatorial Guinea had been disqualified from the preliminaries in August for fielding an illegible player.

Matches will be held at four venues in Bata, Ebebiyin, Mongomo and the capital Malabo. In 2012, the tournament was hosted in Malabo and Bata.

The draw for the finals will be in Malabo on December 3, Caf added.

“CAF wishes to express its sincere thanks to the Equatorial Guinean people, its government and particularly president Obiang,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, the man who organised the 2008 tournament in Ghana had earlier on said that it was going to be almost impossible to stage the 2015 African Cup of Nations on time.

Morocco was due to stage the 2015 Cup but was removed as host after expressing fears over the Ebola virus.

Caf then insisted that the tournament will go ahead on time, starting on January 17.

But Dr Kofi Amoah told the BBC on Thursday before Equatorial Guinea came to Caf’s rescue by agreeing to host the 2015 finals: “It could be a sham. I don’t think there is enough time for anyone to do it.”

Caf said earlier this week that several countries had applied to stage the relocated event, and that a decision was to be made in a matter of days

But Amoah believed that any country that stepped in faced a “gargantuan” task to stage the tournament with just 65 days notice.

“It could become a disgrace to African football,” Amoah told BBC World Service. “60 to 70 days will not be adequate for most countries.

“There is a lot of stuff (to do). Accreditation systems, security, which is very important. Without that it’ll be a mess.”

Amoah says he supports Morocco’s decision to ask for a postponement of the tournament.

“I don’t think Morocco should be penalised. (They’ve done this) to protect the whole of Africa,” he said.

“All the things that come into human necessity come into play and it would be best to postpone it.” — Supersport.com.