Soccer

Morocco stripped of hosting and banned from African Nations Cup

North African nation had requested a postponement over Ebola fears

Issa Hayatou, president of the Confederation of African Football, leaves his hotel in Rabat, Morocco last week after talks over the country’s hosting of the African Nations Cup. Photograph: Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images
Issa Hayatou, president of the Confederation of African Football, leaves his hotel in Rabat, Morocco last week after talks over the country’s hosting of the African Nations Cup. Photograph: Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images
Tue Nov 11 2014 - 14:45

Morocco has been stripped of hosting the African Nations Cup and banned from the competition after it requested a postponement of the tournament due to fears over the Ebola outbreak.

The Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) executive committee took the decision at a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday and decided to keep the dates as planned for January and February next year.

CAF will now decide between several other bids from nations keen to host the African Nations Cup finals in Morocco’s place.

A CAF statement said: “Having firmly and unanimously notified its decision to keep the competition on the dates indicated, the executive committee confirmed that the Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2015 will not take place in Morocco.

READ MORE

“Accordingly, and following the refusal of the Moroccan party, the executive committee has decided that the national team of Morocco is automatically disqualified and will not take part in the 30th edition of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations in 2015.”