Rabat- Less than 24 hours after it denied it intention to host the 2015 African Cup of Nations, Qatar said on Thursday that it stands ready to host the event in case the African Football Federation makes a formal request.
In a statement carried by Qatar News Agency (QNA), Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, the President of Qatar Football Association (QFA), said that Qatar is ready to offer any help to host the African tournament.
“If officially asked, Qatar is ready to offer any help in hosting the African Cup due to its strong relation with Issa Hayatou, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF),” he said.
Recalling Qatar’s commitment to the development of sports worldwide and its hosting of the 1995 World Youth Championship after it was moved from Nigeria due to an outbreak of cholera, he said that Qatar “has always sought to play a leading role in global football march.”
The Qatari official called on all world football authorities, including FIFA to help CAF find a substitute to Morocco, and expressed his country’s readiness to live up the expectations of African football fans.
“QFA will be part of this big family that will spare no effort in order to please the masses of African football fans.”
Last October, the Moroccan government asked CAF to postpone the CAN 2015 over fears of the Ebola virus. Despite the efforts made by Rabat to convince the African football governing body, Issa Hayatou, CAF’s president said that the argument presented by Morocco were not convincing.
Following its meeting on Tuesday in Cairo, the executive committee of the CAF decided that the African Cup of Nations 2015 will not take place in Morocco. The decision also means that the Moroccan national team is “automatically disqualified and will not take part in the 30th edition of the forthcoming African Cup of Nations.”
