"Abruptly pulling out of hosting the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, over fears it would lead to the spread of the Ebola virus in the kingdom, forced the Confederation of African Football to move the tournament to Equatorial Guinea, with less than 90 days to prepare for its staging."
"The pressure I was under can only be imagined, as I was pulled in different directions, he later said. It is a time I would like to forget."
"Hosting the World Cup is a project that engages every Moroccan in a common dream, knowing that a World Cup tournament comes at a cost but also with a huge boost to the infrastructure of a very young and very demanding society."
"Omar Khyari, head of international relations at the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), says forging close cultural, economic and diplomatic ties with the rest of Africa after the 2015 incident was a 2017 policy decision of King Mohammed VI, the country's absolute monarch."
Morocco abruptly withdrew from hosting the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations because of Ebola fears, forcing CAF to relocate the tournament to Equatorial Guinea with under 90 days' preparation. The withdrawal led to a ban from the next two Afcons and fines that were later overturned at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Morocco rebuilt its hosting credentials by staging the current Afcon, the past two women's Afcons, securing Wafcon 2026, and playing a primary role in the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain. A 2017 policy to strengthen cultural, economic and diplomatic ties with Africa and national investment in infrastructure supported the turnaround.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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