SOUTH Africa is not ready to host the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January if Morocco withdraws because of the Ebola epidemic, Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula said yesterday.
SOUTH Africa is not ready to host the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January if Morocco withdraws because of the Ebola epidemic, Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula said yesterday.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approached South Africa, Ghana and five other countries ahead of a November 2 meeting to decide on the future of the continent's premier football event.
But the minister tweeted: "Hosting AFCON is a NO NO."
Another tweet stated: "South Africa is not the Big Brother of Africa & thus we won't be hosting #AFCON year after year..."
He added that the country had a responsibility to help fight fight the ebola epidemic that had killed more than 4500 people, mainly in west Africa, with the UN predicting a surge in deaths and cases.
SA has twice been 'emergency' hosts of the competition, replacing cash-strapped Kenya in 1996 and strife-torn Libya last year.
South Africa has world-class stadiums, having become the first African hosts of the World Cup four years ago.
Ghana has also been approached by CAF, according to the sports minister of the west African country. The identities of the other five countries have not been officially revealed.
Moroccan government officials said last weekend that they wanted the January 17-February 8 tournament postponed because they feared a spread of the deadly ebola virus.
But Cairo-based CAF reacted swiftly, saying the 16-nation tournament should go ahead as planned, in a different country if necessary.
Most of the ebola dead have been in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. CAF has barred Guinea and Sierra Leone from hosting AFCON qualifiers. Liberia were eliminated in the preliminary rounds.
Guinea stage home fixtures in Moroccan commercial capital Casablanca.
Sierra Leone, having failed to secure a neutral venue, had to play home games against the DR Congo and Cameroon in Lubumbashi and Yaounde respectively.
CAF officials are scheduled to discuss the ebola crisis at a November 2 meeting in Algeria and travel to Morocco the following day for make-or-break talks. - AFP
AFCON a 'no no' - Mbalula
SOUTH Africa is not ready to host the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January if Morocco withdraws because of the Ebola epidemic, Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula said yesterday.
SOUTH Africa is not ready to host the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January if Morocco withdraws because of the Ebola epidemic, Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula said yesterday.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approached South Africa, Ghana and five other countries ahead of a November 2 meeting to decide on the future of the continent's premier football event.
But the minister tweeted: "Hosting AFCON is a NO NO."
Another tweet stated: "South Africa is not the Big Brother of Africa & thus we won't be hosting #AFCON year after year..."
He added that the country had a responsibility to help fight fight the ebola epidemic that had killed more than 4500 people, mainly in west Africa, with the UN predicting a surge in deaths and cases.
SA has twice been 'emergency' hosts of the competition, replacing cash-strapped Kenya in 1996 and strife-torn Libya last year.
South Africa has world-class stadiums, having become the first African hosts of the World Cup four years ago.
Ghana has also been approached by CAF, according to the sports minister of the west African country. The identities of the other five countries have not been officially revealed.
Moroccan government officials said last weekend that they wanted the January 17-February 8 tournament postponed because they feared a spread of the deadly ebola virus.
But Cairo-based CAF reacted swiftly, saying the 16-nation tournament should go ahead as planned, in a different country if necessary.
Most of the ebola dead have been in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. CAF has barred Guinea and Sierra Leone from hosting AFCON qualifiers. Liberia were eliminated in the preliminary rounds.
Guinea stage home fixtures in Moroccan commercial capital Casablanca.
Sierra Leone, having failed to secure a neutral venue, had to play home games against the DR Congo and Cameroon in Lubumbashi and Yaounde respectively.
CAF officials are scheduled to discuss the ebola crisis at a November 2 meeting in Algeria and travel to Morocco the following day for make-or-break talks. - AFP
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