AFCON 2015: Nigeria may bid to replace Morocco

Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Seyi Akinwunmi, has said that the country has the capacity to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) if given the opportunity by Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Lagos FA Chairman said in a radio programme monitored in Lagos that Nigeria could host the 2015 AFCON if Morocco pulled out of staging the continent’s biggest football showpiece due to fears over the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease.
While the North African country is pondering over the decision whether to turn down the opportunity to host the tournament, CAF has already written to a few countries including last host, South Africa, Ghana and Egypt to ask if they can host the tournament.

Morocco asked CAF to postpone the tournament to a later date instead of its present January/ February schedule but the governing body is not ready for rescheduling. But Nigeria would notify CAF about its readiness to host the competition if the words of Akinwunmi were anything to by.
“I think we are interested in hosting the AFCON],” Akinwunmi said yesterday “It is not strictly the purview of the NFF alone, but we have been asked if we can host the competition and we have said yes, why not? “I think that the National Sports Commission or the Federal Government is looking at the possibility of hosting the tournament,” said Akinwunmi who disclosed that CAF had not yet written to Nigeria.
South Africa has already turned down the opportunity to host the tournament with SAFA president, Danny Joordan, saying: “The AFCON 2015 tournament will not be held here. That issue doesn’t exist, CAF must discuss this matter with Morocco.”