AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS - Ethiopia and Kenya bid to host 2017 Africa Cup

Ethiopia Football Federation president Junedin Basha told BBC Sport: "We already have two ready venues, the Addis Ababa and the Bahir Dar stadiums, and the construction of the other venues has also reached to a good level.

26 Aug 2014
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2014 - GROUP STAGE - 6TH MATCHES - ALL RESULTS

GROUP A and GROUP B

25 Aug 2014
AFRICAN CONFEDERATION CUP 2014 - GROUP STAGE - 6TH MATCHES - ALL RESULTS

This weekend's fixtures

GROUP A
• Real Bamako vs Coton Sport 1:1
• AC Leopards (CGO) vs ASEC Mimosas 4:1
GROUP B
• Sewe San Pedro vs Nkana 3:0
• Al Ahly vs Etoile Sahel 0:0

25 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - CAMEROON - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW

Eto'o dropped from Cameroon squad for Nations Cup qualifiers - Cameroon have made a major overhaul to their squad, dropping 13 players from the party who went to the World Cup including captain Samuel Eto'o.

24 Aug 2014
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2014 - GROUP STAGE - 6TH MATCHES - PREVIEW

Mazemebe & Sfaxien out to avoid clash in semi-finals
This weekend's fixtures

GROUP A
• Al Hilal vs Zamalek -:-
• AS Vita Club vs TP Mazembe -:-
GROUP B
• CS Sfaxien vs Entente Setif -:-
• Esperance vs Al Ahli -:-

23 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - SOUTH AFRICA - 1ST MATCHES - Ephraim Mashaba names first squad

Masahaba said: "It is very interesting to select the national team players, but there is also the difficult side of it, especially at this level where there are several very good players in different positions. 

22 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - GHANA - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW

Ghana drop Kwarasey and Essien for Nations Cup qualifiers - Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has named a 24-man squad for next month's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

21 Aug 2014
AFRICAN CONFEDERATION CUP 2014 - GROUP STAGE - 6TH MATCHES - PREVIEW

This weekend's fixtures

GROUP A
• Real Bamako vs Coton Sport -:-
• AC Leopards (CGO) vs ASEC Mimosas -:-
GROUP B
• Sewe San Pedro vs Nkana -:-
• Al Ahly vs Etoile Sahel -:-

21 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - NIGERIA - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW

Nigeria recall Sone Aluko for qualifiers - He wins his first call-up in more than two years for the matches against Congo on 6 September and South Africa four days later.

20 Aug 2014
Transfer - Ghana - Derek Boateng unveiled by SD Eibar

The 31-year-old, who played for Ghana in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, joined as a free agent only 24 hours after his contact with Rayo Vallecano ended.

19 Aug 2014

2015 AFRICA CUP - CAF - SOUNDS OUT ALTERNATIVE HOST OPTIONS

AFRICA CUP 2015

How the Ebola outbreak has affected African football

• Sierra Leone has suspended all football matches in the county

• CAF has placed bans on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone hosting any international football

• Seychelles forfeited their Nations Cup qualifier rather than host Sierra Leone

 

Last week, scheduled hosts Morocco asked CAF to postpone the January tournament because of fears over Ebola.

"CAF wrote to us and indicated that Morocco had given strong indications they would pull out if CAF did not change the date," Ghana Youth and Sports minister Mahama Ayariga said.

South Africa have been sent a similar letter, seen by BBC Sport.

CAF has stated there are no changes to the schedule of next year's tournament and it would discuss the Moroccan health ministry's request on 2 November before meeting Moroccan officials the following day.

Speaking in an interview with Ghanaian radio station Citi FM, Ayariga added: "CAF also indicated that it was firm on the tournament dates but they will meet the Moroccan authorities and take a decision at that meeting.

"But in the meantime they are writing to a number of countries that they think have the capacity to be an alternative venue… in the event of Morocco actually pulling out."

Almost 4,500 people have died in the Ebola epidemic that broke out in west Africa at the start of the year.

While Moroccan youth and sports minister Mohamed Ouzzine said on Thursday his country had not withdrawn as hosts, he reiterated that they will follow the lead of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has advised against big gatherings in the fight against the Ebola outbreak.

"Our concern is the health of Africa, and based on WHO reports and guidelines, we have to listen," Ouzzine said.

"Zero safety does not exist, but one has to take the necessary precautions so that the coming tournament will be a football feast, bringing together our African brothers, but given the current Ebola situation we don't think such a feast can take place as expected.

"We are talking about the Africa Cup of Nations where we are expecting between 200,000 to 400,000, even one million spectators to converge in Morocco.

"I don't think there is any state or any country that has the necessary capabilities to monitor, check and control the current Ebola situation when faced with these numbers.

"This is our real problem.

We don't have a problem with visiting teams, we have a problem with visitors."

Ouzzine believes the situation is critical and pleaded for a decision to be taken for humanitarian rather than financial reasons.

"If there are fears about the loss of funding and financial commitments, we can always find solutions to these issues - but today is not the day to discuss these things," he said.

"We will discuss these things when we meet with CAF - and we might even debate other options. 

But I beg you, what's the significance of the financial losses compared to human losses? A human being is priceless.

"I can tell you that we will reach a definite decision during our meeting with our brothers from CAF."

 

17 Oct 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

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