AFRICAN CONFEDERATION CUP 2014 - FINALS - 1ST LEG - PREVIEW

Ahly hope to restore Egyptian pride

28 Nov 2014
NATIONAL TEAMS - GHANA - COACHES - AVRAM GRANT APPOINTED NEW BLACK STARS COACH

Former Chelsea boss Avram Grant has been appointed the new coach of Ghana.

28 Nov 2014
FIFA RANKING - GUINEA CLIMB HIGH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS

Guinea are Africa's highest risers in Fifa's world rankings for November.

27 Nov 2014
2014 AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR - VOTING FOR THE AWARDS ENDED

Voting for the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014 closed at 18:00 GMT on Monday, 24 November.

26 Nov 2014
NATIONAL LEAGUE - ALGERIA - ARTUR JORGE SET TO BE NAMED COACH OF MOULOUDIA ALGER

Portuguese coach Artur Jorge is set to be appointed the new boss of Algerian club Mouloudia Alger.

25 Nov 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - LIBERIA - NEW COACH DEBBAH PROMISES DISCIPLINE

Newly-appointed Liberia coach James 'Salinsa' Debbah says he wants the Lone Star squad to change their attitude and approach under his guidance.

24 Nov 2014
STARS IN EUROPE - IVORY COAST - YAYA TOURE

Coach Pellegrini pleased by Yaya Toure's form

23 Nov 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - NIGERIA - COACH KESHI URGED TO 'WALK AWAY'

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has been urged not to try to stay in the job after failing to qualify the team for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

23 Nov 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - EGYPT - GHARIB SACKED AS COACH

Shawky Gharib sacked by Egypt after Nations Cup failure

21 Nov 2014

2015 AFRICA CUP - CAF - EBOLA AND NATIONS CUP - SOUTH AFRICA RULE OUT BEING 2015 HOSTS

AFRICA CUP 2015

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) approached South Africa last week, after Morocco asked to postpone the event because of the Ebola crisis.

"I can tell you unambiguously and categorically that hosting is a no no," Mbalula told South African media.

"Our budget cycle will not allow it - it is totally impossible."

South Africa were among seven countries sounded out by CAF as possible replacements for Morocco, who have major concerns about hosting the 17 January to 8 February tournament.

Almost 4,500 people have died in the Ebola epidemic that broke out in west Africa at the start of the year and Morocco youth and sports minister Mohamed Ouzzine said on Thursday he does not think the tournament can happen as planned.

Moroccan officials will meet with CAF on 3 November to discuss the situation.

Whatever the outcome, South Africa have made their stance clear.

Mbalula said the country had a responsibility to help fight to help fight the Ebola epidemic, with the United Nations predicting a surge in deaths and cases.

"We do not have a ready-made abundance of resources to be shifted to the Nations Cup, " he added. 

"We would like to give this one a pass.

"We will share the responsibility to fight Ebola - we are not immune to that. 

We must be prepared to share our skills, our doctors, to reinforce the research to find a vaccine."

South Africa have twice been emergency hosts of the competition, replacing cash-strapped Kenya in 1996 and strife-torn Libya last year.

Ghana are another of the countries to have been approached by CAF, according to the sports minister of the west African country.

The identities of the other five countries have not been officially revealed.

...

Most of the Ebola deaths have been in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. 

CAF has barred Guinea and Sierra Leone from hosting Nations Cup qualifiers.
 
Liberia were eliminated in the preliminary rounds.

Guinea have staged home fixtures in Moroccan commercial capital Casablanca.

Sierra Leone, having failed to secure a neutral venue, had to play home games against the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon in Lubumbashi and Yaounde respectively.

20 Oct 2014
(BBC Sport UK)

Related countries

Related articles