2015 Africa Cup: dates & venues for Morocco 2015 announced

The final draw for Morocco 2015 will be held in Rabat on 26 November.

28 Apr 2014
2015 Africa Cup - draw is made

Three teams were drawn in each group at Sunday's ceremony. A fourth team will emerge from two more qualifying rounds. 

27 Apr 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - TANZANIA - COACH - Mart Nooij appointed as head coach

Martin Ignatius, popularly known as Mart Nooij, has been named as head coach of Tanzania's national team, the Taifa Stars.

27 Apr 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - RWANDA - COACH - Ratomir Dujkovic on shortlist for Rwanda coach position

Dujkovic, who also took Ghana to the 2006 World Cup, is believed to be in a strong position. 

27 Apr 2014
stars in Europe - Everton may seek to extend Lacina Traore's stay

Everton are open to extending Lacina Traore's loan spell despite the Ivorian's injury-ravaged time at the club since he joined from Monaco.

26 Apr 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - COACHES - Uganda coach Sredojevic targets 2015 Nations Cup finals

Sredojevic is scheduled to name his squad on 30 April and would not be drawn on who he may include. 

25 Apr 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - MOROCCO - COACH - Herve Renard plays down links to position

Sochaux coach Herve Renard has distanced himself from reports he could become the next coach of Morocco.

24 Apr 2014
stars in Europe - Nathan Sinkala keen to stay on at Sochaux

Zambia midfielder Nathan Sinkala hopes to stay at Sochaux beyond the end of his loan from TP Mazembe.

23 Apr 2014
stars in Europe - Ghana midfielder Jordan Ayew is focussed on Sochaux

Jordan Ayew is the son of Ghana great Abedi Pele and has so far won 11 caps and scored two goals for the Black Stars. Ayew has scored three goals for Sochaux since he joined from Marseille on loan in January and knows playing well for his club can only help his chances of getting into the Black Stars' squad for Brazil. 

22 Apr 2014
2015 Africa Cup qualifiers - Mauritania go through to next round

Mauritania coach Patrice Neveu said the tactics he put in place paid off. "We came to get the qualification and we knew we should not defend"

21 Apr 2014

2015 AFRICA CUP - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY

AFRICA CUP 2015

Mongomo, the hometown of Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang, along with Ebebeyin, Bata and Malabo are set to host the finals.

Equatorial Guinea agreed to organise the tournament last month at the request of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

CAF took the finals away from Morocco, who had demanded a delay due to their fears over Ebola.

The stadiums in Malabo and Bata were both used as venues when Equatorial Guinea co-hosted the 2012 Nations Cup with Gabon.

However work needs to be done on the grounds in both Ebebeyin and Mongomo.

"The turf for Mongomo and Ebebeyin stadiums is going to be brought by plane from Europe," one of the supervisors told the BBC.

Work also needs to be done on the stadium structure and other facilities, but all those involved in the preparations are confident the work will be completed in time.

"Time is a big challenge but the good thing is that it's not new for us to work against time," said Francisca Obiang Jimenez, the president of the Office of National Projects, who was there supervising the works.

"We have built almost an entire city, Sipopo, in about two years and we've also built a highway.

"Everybody was expecting that that would finish four years from now but we finished it on time, so I don't think there will be much problem with the stadiums."

The new highway means you can travel from Bata, on the coast, to Mongomo, located near the eastern border with Gabon, in around two hours.

While the stadiums look set to be ready in time, having enough accommodation could be a challenge for the organisers in both Mongomo and Ebebeyin.

Ebebeyin has only one large hotel of international standards.

"We have hotels and we have also some social houses that we've finished building and have not given to anybody yet," Ms Obiang Jimenez told us.

"So we are furnishing them in case we find ourselves with not enough rooms but, according to what the CAF said, we have more than enough."

The government and organisers are also taking measures against the possibility of the deadly Ebola virus getting into the country.

All passengers arriving at Malabo airport from abroad are having their temperature checked.

There was also an Ebola screening exercise at Bata stadium, before a match of the CEMAC (Economic Community of Central African States) Cup, which is currently being staged in Equatorial Guinea.

"During the Cup of Nations, there will be other controls and this kind of protection will be happening further away from the stadium," a local fan, Juan Esono, told us.

A Cameroonian working at the Mongomo stadium told BBC Sport: "I've been checked many times for Ebola when crossing the border near Ebebeyin. 

So I don't think there will be a problem with the virus here."

 

11 Dec 2014
(BBC Africa by Manuel Toledo)

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