[ 2014-11-09 ]

Ghana fails to submit bid to host 2015 AFCON after Morocco withdrawal
Ghana failed to submit a bid to host the 2015
Africa Cup of Nations by Saturday’s deadline
given by CAF after Morocco confirmed it is not
ready to host the tournament in January.

Ghana was one of the alternatives for CAF to
stand-in as hosts for next year’s event if
Morocco fails to assume its original
responsibility and CAF gave the deadline of
Saturday for interested countries to bid.

Initially Ghana’s sports minister Mahama Ayariga
was keen on hosting the tournament which is just
two months away.

But the public backlash against the hosting of the
competition with fears of Ebola hitting the
country seems to have forced the government to
make a U-turn with no official bid submitted by
Saturday’s deadline.

Ghana FA President Kwesi Nyantakyi, who also
serves on the CAF Executive Committee, says the
country the nation is not in the running to stand
in as hosts for the 2015 AFCON.

“Ghana has not put together a bid to host AFCON
2015 so Ghana is not in reckoning at all to host
the competition,” Nyantakyi told a press
conference on Friday.

The Ghanaian populace is sharply divided on
whether it will be prudent to host the 2015 Africa
Cup of Nations as against other competing
priorities especially with the outbreak of the
Ebola virus.

Moroccan officials on Saturday rejected an
ultimatum from the Confederation of African
Football meaning that the African Cup of Nations
will need to find a new host.

Fears over the Ebola virus forced Morocco to
demand the competition’s postponement, but the
CAF were adamant that Africa’s showpiece event
would go ahead as planned.

The 16-team competition, due to be played from
January 17th to February 8th, must now find a new
host as quickly as possible or risk cancelling the
event at enormous financial cost.

Ghana has put in its bid to host the 2017 Africa
Cup of Nations.

Source - Ghanasoccer

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