Where will the problematic African Cup of Nations be held next year?
Just three months out from the tournament, it’s still uncertain because of Ebola and could even come down to the Confederation of African Football drawing the name of a country out of a hat.
Morocco denied reports Thursday that it has withdrawn as the host of the 16-team event but wants it postponed from its planned dates in January and February because of fears over the spread of Ebola, which is surging through three countries in West Africa.
A postponement won’t work for CAF, which insists the Jan. 17 to Feb. 8 dates must be honored.
“CAF has registered (Morocco’s) request and wishes to state that there are no changes of the schedules of its competitions and events,” CAF said.
If Morocco still refuses, CAF has asked at least two other countries if they can be on standby to host at short notice, according to Ghana’s sports minister and a letter from CAF to the South Africa Football Association that was published in the South African media. Egypt has also been mentioned as a possible stand-in host.
In the letter to SAFA, CAF says if Morocco doesn’t hold the cup and more than one other country wants to step in, “a draw will be made” by its executive committee, reducing the process to a lottery. In the letter, CAF said “this possibility would be valid only if Morocco refuses to maintain the dates of the tournament currently agreed.”
That appears likely.
Mustapha Khalfi, Morocco’s information minister and government spokesman, said Thursday that it still wanted to host but not as early as January. Morocco believes large groups of fans from soccer-mad West Africa — where Ebola has killed more than 4,500 people in its worst outbreak ever and is not yet contained — would put the North African country at risk.
“There is no way we can be lenient with the health and safety of the Moroccan citizens,” Khalfi said.
CAF has canceled all football in the three worst affected Ebola countries — Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone — until further notice but says it is following the advice of the World Health Organization that travel bans will not help curtail the outbreak, and the tournament in Morocco can go ahead.
CAF President Issa Hayatou will travel to Morocco next month to meet officials over their concerns.
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