This confirms the dramatic turnaround in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations story:
✅ Official: Equatorial Guinea to Host AFCON 2015
After Morocco’s refusal to host the tournament on the scheduled dates (due to Ebola fears), CAF President Issa Hayatou’s visit to Malabo has secured a new host — Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶.
🗓 Tournament Dates:
January 17 – February 8, 2015
🔹 Key Highlights:
Confirmed by CAF following discussions with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
CAF praised the “fraternal and fruitful” talks that led to this agreement.
The Equatorial Guinea national team, despite being disqualified earlier in the qualifiers for fielding ineligible players, will now participate automatically as hosts.
CAF officially waived prior disqualification:
“The Equatorial Guinea national team has qualified for the final tournament as a representative of the host country.”
🏟️ Venues Confirmed:
Malabo
Bata
Mongomo
Ebebiyin
All four stadiums are FIFA-approved and were previously used in AFCON 2012, which Equatorial Guinea co-hosted with Gabon.
🗳️ Tournament Draw:
📍 Malabo
📅 December 3, 2014
⚠️ Context:
Equatorial Guinea had been expelled from the 2015 qualifiers due to fielding ineligible naturalized players, but the emergency need for a host overrode that decision. CAF’s flexibility in this instance reflects the urgency and complexity of salvaging the tournament following Morocco’s withdrawal.
Would you like:
A projection of pot allocations for the December 3 draw?
A review of Equatorial Guinea’s squad situation given their last-minute inclusion?
Insight into how this affects the qualifying format and other teams?
Let me know — I can help with tournament implications, team previews, or historical comparisons.
