The 2015 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) will be held in Equatorial Guinea, the Confederation of African Federations (CAF) said Friday. Original hosts Morocco were stripped of hosting rights of the January 17 to February 8 tournament after insisting on a postponement due to the ongoing Ebola crisis in West Africa.
CAF refused to postpone the event and Morocco failed to confirm its commitment by last week's deadline, forcing the continent's governing body to seek new hosts. Equatorial Guinea co-hosted the CAN with Gabon in 2012. The decision to step in at short notice followed a meeting in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, between the country's president Teodoro Obiang and veteran CAF president Issa Hayatou.
Hayatou was quick to express his gratitude to President Obiang for agreeing to his country stepping into the breach at the 11th hour. "To agree to organise a competition like this two months before the event, you must admit you really have to be a true African," Hayatou said. He also indicated that the draw for the competition would be held in Malabo on December 3. Equatorial Guinea also drew praise from African Union chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
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