The decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) to overturn CAF's ban of Morocco for the Afcon 2017 and 2019 vindicates and uphold's Morocco's wise call for a postponement of the 2015 tournament in the face of the then raging deadly ebola pandemic

Africa got lucky that the tournament escaped ebola infection but it must be emphasized strongly that CAF's decision to put football and the interest of her sponsors ahead of the safety of the continent was a monumental and irresponsible act that must not go unnoticed!

Ebola has no cure, some nations were contemplating banning flights from the affected region or quarantining arriving passengers, the speed with which the disease was spreading and killing thousands of people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

In the face of these well-known facts, Africa (the poorest continent with the weakest health care systems) decides to hold a football tournament that will bring competitors and hundreds of spectators from across the continent, including nations from the affected region. 

Goodness!

Yes, we love and embrace football but I believe most Africans would prefer safety and sanity over a tournament that has the potential to spread an epidemic with no known cure!

Let's not bask in the luck of Equatorial Guinea for an ebola-free incident and make future decisions in similar circumstances with reckless abandon.

Morocco's call for postponement was right then and will be right today and tomorrow...

Kudos to CAS. Congrats to Morocco. Shame on CAF!

Long Live Africa, power to responsible football tournaments.

Dr Kofi Amoah
Chairman
CAN 2008 LOC