[b]Ebola caused the 2015 African Nations Cup to be moved from Morocco to Equatorial Guinea in a year which also saw Algeria and Nigeria reach the World Cup finals knock out stages.
The last 12 months also saw Al Ahly of Egypt complete their haul of continental trophies with its first victory in Africa’s second-tier international competition, the Confederation Cup.
Ebola, which has killed more than 6,000 people in west Africa, was a headache for football’s authorities, with fears about the disease’s spread causing cancellations and multiple venue switches.
That culminated in Morocco, the hosts for the continent’s showpiece tournament, backing out of the competition and forcing the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to find a new venue.
Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea stepped in at the last minute.
But there are concerns about whether the tiny nation, which co-hosted the 2012 edition with neighbouring Gabon, will be ready in time, with the competition slated to start on January 17.
Last time round, there were complaints about the high cost of living and limited hotel space.
“If I say there will be no problems, I would be lying,” CAF president Issa Hayatou admitted in a recent interview.
“In two months we can’t bring together everything that is needed without there being some imperfections. We’ll do everything so we can save the essentials.”
– Shock exits –
CAF had earlier stopped matches being played in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where the deadly haemmorhagic fever has devastated the country’s population and economies.
The three nations were forced to play their qualifying matches away from home but despite the odds, Guinea managed to make it through to the finals after a late rally.
By far the biggest shock in the AFCON qualifiers was the failure of seven-time champions Egypt and holders Nigeria to advance to the competition proper.
Senegal and Tunisia qualified ahead of the Pharaohs, whose last appearance in a competition they have dominated was in 2010 in Angola, where they won their seventh trophy.
Coach Shawkey Gharib, who succeeded the American Bob Bradley after another failed World Cup campaign last year, was fired as a result.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles were meanwhile upstaged by a revived South Africa under new coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba and Congo, despite reaching the last 16 of the World Cup finals with Algeria.
The north Africans, making their first appearance in the knock-out stages, were beaten by eventual champions Germany.
Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the AFCON topped a torrid few months for the defending champions, with the country’s football federation in turmoil and uncertainty over Stephen Keshi.
The coach was sacked then reinstated after the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan but it is still not clear whether he will continue in the role.
– Cash rows –
Africa also grabbed the headlines in Brazil for the wrong reasons when Ghana — quarter finalists four years ago in South Africa — became embroiled in an unseemly row over appearance fees.
The government in Accra was forced to step in and fly more than $3 million in cash to South America on the eve of their must-win final group stage match against Argentina.
Black Stars players counted the money long into the night just hours before the game. The issue caused controversy back home with Ghana’s economy squeezed by inflation and a depreciating currency.
Nigeria’s government also had to intervene after players threatened to stage a boycott if they were not paid.
A bitter power struggle for control of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) meanwhile led to repeated threats of international sanctions from the game’s world governing body FIFA.
In club football, Al Ahly delivered a stoppage-time winner to pip Sewe Sport of the Ivory Coast to win the only continental trophy that had eluded them — the Confederation Cup.
The Egyptians already had eight Champions League titles, six African Super Cups as well as four trophies from the now-defunct Africa Cup Winners Cups.
“Ahly are a big club and our philosophy is to win more,” declared a proud coach Juan Carlos Garrido after the dramatic cup final win.
Entente Sportive de Setif meanwhile clinched the more prestigious Champions League at the expense of AS Vita of DR Congo on the away goals rule to crown a fine run for Algerian football in 2014.
[/b]
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/ebola-fears-headline-2014-african-football/#sthash.HY9nyAle.dpuf