The Confederation of African Football (Caf) received a letter from the Moroccan government last week asking for the tournament to be called off and had agreed to discuss the plans at the next executive committee meeting on 2 November. The prospective hosts proposed either postponing the tournament until next year or allowing them to switch to the 2017 edition instead.
However, despite reports on the African website supersport.com which quoted a source from the country’s ministry of sport on Thursday claiming that Morocco has now officially withdrawn in order to “preserve the safety of our citizens”, the sports minister, Mohamed Ouzzine, moved to clarify the situation on Thursday but admitted they will follow the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.
“Our concern is the health of Africa and, based on WHO reports and guidelines, we have to listen,” Ouzzine said. “Zero safety does not exist, but one has to take the necessary precautions so that the coming tournament will be a football feast, bringing together our African brothers. But given the current Ebola situation we don’t think such a feast can take place as expected.
Read More; http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/oct/16/morocco-africa-cup-of-nations-ebola-withdraw?CMP=twt_gu
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