29 January 2011
Morocco was awarded the hosting of the 2015 African Nations Cup and the 2017 edition will go to South Africa, where last years World Cup was held, the Confederation of African Football decided on Saturday.
The two countries were the only two candidates left in the running for the two tournaments after the withdrawal from the race of the Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving the 15-man executive committee of African footballs governing body to only decide on which country will host in which year.
CAF said in a statement on Saturday it had decided on Morocco first after deliberations and presentations by the two bidding countries, making unclear whether the choice was put to a vote or decided upon during the executive committee meeting in Lubumbashi, ahead of the African Super Cup being played in the southern Congolese city on Saturday.
The decision can be considered a victory for Morocco as both candidates had expressed a desire to host the 2015 edition rather than that two years later.
Morocco said the future tournament would help their bid to professionalise football in their country while South Africa had sought to sustain momentum gained from a successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup.
Both have previously hosted one tournament — Morocco in 1988 and South Africa in 1996, just four years after the countrys return from long-standing sporting isolation.
Morocco and South Africa were engaged in a much fiercer battle for the right to host the 2010 World Cup, which South Africa in a tight 14-10 vote in Zurich in 2004.
Next years African Nations Cup finals are being co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. After that, the tournament will be played every odd year with the 2013 tournament already designated to Libya.
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