AU hails successful Ebola-free AFCON

The African Union has commended CAF and Equatorial Guinea for hosting a successful Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) free of fresh cases of Ebola virus.

The AFCON 2015 was hosted by Equatorial Guinea after Morocco pulled out over fears of Ebola outbreak but the championship recorded no single case of the virus which affected largely three West African nations – Sierra Leona, Guinea and Liberia.

The AU has now asserted that the hosting of the AFCON brushed aside the Ebola threat and hailed CAF for delivering a successful championship which served as a unifying factor for the continent.

Dlamini Zuma, AU commission chairperson, congratulated the victorious Ivorian team and runners-up Ghana for their brilliant performances. She also commended third and fourth placed teams DR Congo and hosts Equatorial Guinea respectively.

“African football has over the years improved exponentially and the talent showcased by the two African football giants in the final, was nothing short of the brilliance and great talent of African sports men and women,” she said.

The AU commission chief also echoed her gratitude to President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the government and people of Equatorial Guinea for successfully hosting the tournament after only two months of preparations; a demonstration of Africa’s determination to defeat the Ebola Virus.

Cote d’Ivoire won their second AFCON Sunday night after a 9-8 penalty shoot-out victory over Ghana.