MOSCOW, November 8 (RIA Novosti) — Morocco will not host the African Cup of Nations in 2015 due to fears caused by the Ebola virus, Reuters reported Saturday.
The executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) will make a final decision on November 11 in Cairo on the place where the cup will be held.
On Monday CAF denied Morocco the transferal of the African Cup of Nations to 2016, asking the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to clarify its position by November 8 on its preparedness to host the tournament. According to the agency, Morocco rejected the ultimatum.
The cup is scheduled for January 17 through February 8, 2015.
The current Ebola virus outbreak began in Guinea in December 2013, and spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. However, Senegal and Nigeria have recently been declared free of Ebola by the World Health Organization (WHO). Several cases of the disease have also been registered outside of West Africa.
According to WHO latest estimates, there have been more than 13,000 reported Ebola cases, with more than 4,800 having been killed by the virus. The majority of lethal cases have been concentrated in three West African countries – Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
