Ghana Is Ready To Host AFCON But For Ebola - Mahama Ayariga

Ghana's Youth and Sports Minister Mahama Ayariga has said that the country has the financial and logistic capacity to host the 2015 Afcon in January but for the health concerns.

Ayariga insists that Ghana is waiting for the aftermath of the meeting between CAF and the Moroccan officials next month on the way forward of the event. CA

The Confederation of African football has written to a few countries to consider hosting the continental football showpiece in the event that hosts Morocco pull out over the deadly Ebola virus ravaging west Africa in particular.

Earlier this week, the president of Ghana John Mahama said his country is interested in hosting the 2017 Nations Cup and has put in a bid, but yet to take a decision on Caf�s request to stage the 2015 edition, but the sports minister says the decision will largely be based on health concerns rather than finance and infrastructure.

"The process of taking a decision hasn't been exhausted. Ultimately If they (CAF) get back to us with a definite offer that look we want to look at Afcon 2015 like the president said he would communicate his position but clearly he is saying no decision has been made". Ayariga told Joy FM

"I don't even want to get involved in the debate about cost and logistics and ability because I think that that debate tends to misrepresent to the public that we are pushing for the event to take place and then people get anxious about it. I'm concerned as a country when we adopt a posture of we cannot anything about any situation. We haven't asked ourselves the very simple question how much it cost to host a tournament. The tournament itself doeskin cost anything,

"For me the key issue is the health consideration and I agree with the health people. If CAF didn't believe that Ghana has the capacity, they would write to us. Lets not reduce ourselves that we don't have the capacity," he said.

Source: Ghanasportsonline.com