CAF URGES GHANA TO HOST AFCON 2015
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has
written to urge Ghana to consider hosting next year’s African Cup of
Nations (Afcon) should Morocco go ahead to pull out from hosting the
games.
Moroccan media on Wednesday reported that the
country has officially pulled out of hosting the games. There has not
been any official statement on that as of now.
The
country wrote officially to CAF about 10 days ago that because of the
fears of the Ebola virus, and the scourge of people who would be
traveling to Morocco for the tournament, they cannot offer any
guarantees.
Confirming
the latest development on Citi FM at midday Thursday, the Minister of
Youth and Sports, Mr Mahama Ayariga said CAF has indeed written to
Ghana.
“CAF wrote to us a few days ago actually
and indicated that Morocco has given strong indications, that they will
pull out if CAF, did not change the date and CAF also indicated that it
was firm on those dates.”
“They will be meeting
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 for Afcon 2015, and Ghana
is one such country. They are writing to us to consider hosting Afcon
2015 in the event of Morocco actually pulling out if they are unable to
reach and agreement on the date."
According to Mr Ayariga, CAF also indicated in the letter that they have written to a number of countries.
"Now I don’t know which other countries they have written to but that’s what they said in the letter."
“So
I received the letter from the GFA and I have been looking at the two
key issues involved assuming that we are to put ourselves in readiness….
The cost of hosting it and the very health issues that is making
Morocco to renege on the commitment they made to CAF.
He added those are the matters that the Ministry was looking into and evaluating.
About Dominic Nabiga
