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Africa football chief mulls postponing African cup due to Ebola

By AFP
Africa Confederation of African Football CAF president Issa Hayatou considering whether the African Cup of Nations should be postponed because of the Ebola epidemic.  By Fadel Senna AFPFile
NOV 3, 2014 LISTEN
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou considering whether the African Cup of Nations should be postponed because of the Ebola epidemic. By Fadel Senna (AFP/File)

Rabat (AFP) - Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou held talks with Moroccan officials on Monday over whether the African Cup of Nations should be postponed because of the Ebola epidemic.

Morocco has called for the tournament, due to be held from January 17 to February 8, to be pushed back because of fears that an influx of several hundred thousand supporters could spread the virus which has killed more than 4,950 people in West Africa.

The confederation has so far rejected calls for a postponement, but has failed to find another country to step in. With time running out for the organisers, an announcement on CAF's latest position could be made later Monday.

CAF's executive committee met in Algiers on Sunday and Hayatou was authorised to take a decision on Monday, after meetings at a Rabat hotel, on the fate of the tournament, officials said.

The draw is due to be held in the same hotel on November 26.

But the Moroccan authorities are increasingly nervous about staging the tournament as the death toll mounts, and have proposed deferring the tournament to June 2015 or January 2016.

Morocco has not officially backed out of holding the event, but CAF has asked South Africa, Ghana and Algeria whether they would be ready to stand in. All refused.

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