Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea football fans walk towards Bata Stadium ahead of their team's 2015 African Cup of Nations group A match against Congo in Bata on January 17, 2015. By Carl De Souza (AFP)

Bata (Equatorial Guinea) (AFP) - The 30th Africa Cup of Nations began in Equatorial Guinea on Saturday with the hosts facing Congo Brazzaville in the opening game.

A sell-out crowd of 35,000 turned out for the Group A game, which will be followed at 1900 GMT by Burkina Faso against Gabon at the same venue.

The competition, which was moved to Equatorial Guinea at the last minute after Morocco's refusal to act as hosts over fears of Ebola, runs until Sunday, February 8.