AFRICA CUP 2017 QUALIFIERS - NIGERIA - SQUAD - Nigeria face Egypt

Kelechi Iheanacho in Nigeria squad to face Egypt.

23 Mar 2016
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2016 - 1ST ROUND / 2ND LEG - details

Holders TP Mazembe progress to last-16.

22 Mar 2016
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2016 - 1ST ROUND / 2ND LEG - all results

...

21 Mar 2016
KEY PLAYER - IVORY COAST - Yaya Toure returns for Ivory Coast

Yaya Toure has ended his self-enforced international break.

19 Mar 2016
STARS IN EUROPE - IVORY COAST - Sunderland sign Emmanuel Eboue

Sunderland have signed Emmanuel Eboue on a short-term deal.

18 Mar 2016
NATIONAL TEAM - GHANA - Goalkeeper Kwarasey back in Ghana squad

Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey back in Ghana national squad.

17 Mar 2016
NATIONAL TEAM - CAPE VERDE - COACH - Cardoso confirmed as new coach

Felisberto 'Beto' Cardoso confirmed as Cape Verde's new coach.

16 Mar 2016
STARS IN EUROPE - GUNIEA - Ibrahima Traore agrees to return

Ibrahima Traore agrees to Guinea return after 13-month break.

16 Mar 2016
STARS IN EUROPE - CONGO DR - SQUAD - Afobe included in DR Congo squad

Bournemouth striker Benik Afobe included in DR Congo squad.

15 Mar 2016
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2016 - 1ST ROUND / 1ST LEG - ALL RESULTS

African champions TP Mazembe start defence with draw in Ethiopia.

14 Mar 2016

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