CAF turns down Morocco’s request for AFCON shift

Confederation of African Football (CAF) does not intend to change the date for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the governing body ruled out the possibility of shifting the tournament to a later date despite fears over the challenge of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

CAF’s statement comes after Morocco, the host nation, requested for the 2015 edition of the competition to be delayed due to the threat of Ebola.

“The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) on Friday, October 10, 2014 received a request from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Kingdom of Morocco,” CAF wrote on its website.

“The letter was seeking a deferral of the schedule of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015 fixed for January 17 to February 8, due to the Ebola outbreak.

“CAF has registered the request and wishes to state that there are no changes of the schedules of its competitions and events. It must be noted that since the first edition in 1957, the Africa Cup of Nations has never witnessed a deferral or a change in schedule.

“CAF has also been cautions since the commencement of the final round qualifiers of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2015 on the health risks posed by the Ebola virus and has consistently applied precautionary principles, taking into account the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and various medical experts.

“The request of the Moroccan party will be discussed at the next meeting of the CAF Executive Committee scheduled for 2 November 2014 in Algiers, Algeria, on the sidelines of the second leg of the 2014 Orange CAF Champions League final.

“Subsequently, a meeting will be organised between CAF and the Moroccans in Rabat on November 3, 2014 and the CAF delegation will be led by its president, Issa Hayatou.”