The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has given Morocco up to tomorrow to decide whether it wants to go ahead with the hosting of AFCON 2015 or not.
Numb with fear of Ebola that is threatening to wipe out the beauty of football, the football-crazy North African country has asked CAF to postpone the tournament, scheduled for January, to June.
But the powerful continental body, headed by Alhaji Issah Hayatou, not in the mood for any cold feet business, has pointedly asked Morocco for a yes or no response. This is no easy matter, given the delicate nature of the disease that is pushing medical science to its elastic limit.
Ebola, originally described as a West African disease, is now a spectre that looms large over the entire world, with no sign of an immediate solution in sight.
Until the world hears an announcement that an antidote has been found to the deadly virus, mankind will continue to be petrified into a state of panic. I believe it is this feeling of being cautious that is making Morocco wary of hosting AFCON 2015 in January.
Obviously, it is this same feeling of fear that put South Africa and Ghana on edge when the reality of one of them stepping in to host the AFCON 2015 dawned after Morocco started talking about wanting the tournament postponed because of Ebola.
It is beyond doubt that CAF is determined to see to the hosting of AFCON 2015, come what may, either in Morocco or elsewhere on the continent. As a matter of fact as at last Monday, that was never in doubt when a CAF delegation, led by Hayatou, met the Moroccan authorities in Rabat to hear the final word from Morocco.
Without giving the slightest indication as to which countries were in it's Plan B, CAF didn't need to tell anyone that it was holding a list to its chest. As the football controlling body on the continent, CAF has every power to decide how the prestigious tournament should be organised.
However, since AFCON is about people whose support constitutes the passion that drives the game, it is very important that the welfare and interest of the people are always factored into calculations when it comes to organising major tournaments. Without their patronage, the glamour that always marks the opening of such events counts for little.
For sure, some countries will jump at the great opportunity of hosting the AFCON, especially when they have not put in a bid for it, and only find themselves presented with it because the original bid winners are no longer sure of fulfilling their part of the agreement. But the matter should not be looked at from such a simplistic standpoint.
Africans love their football, and the AFCON is always regarded as the stage to unveil the continent's finest. However, in the case of the 2015 edition, the tournament is bound to suffer in terms of patronage and glamour because of Ebola. This should not be discounted by serious observers.
In all honesty, CAF should weigh the implications of going ahead with the staging of AFCON 2015 without due regard to the feelings of majority of the people who think the fight against Ebola should take precedence over whatever joy will be derived from the AFCON tournament.
In situations like we are in now, tradition must sometimes give way to an overwhelming sense of urgency. This must not be lost on CAF.
