CAIRO, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Security concerns have caused Egypt to cancel plans to host an eight-team tournament to decide Africa’s representatives at next year’s London Olympics.
An Egypt Football Association spokesman said they had been requested to withdraw as hosts by authorities concerned over a clash of dates with planned Parliamentary elections on Nov. 28.
The eight-team tournament is due to be played from Nov. 26-Dec. 10, with the top-three finishers going into the men’s football tournament at the London Games and the fourth-placed side playing off against an Asian country for a place at the Olympics.
The teams still in contention are Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and former gold medal winners Nigeria.
(Reporting by Osama Khairy in Cairo; Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing Ed Osmond)
