SA WITHDRAW FROM 2008 BID
South Africa have withdrawn their bid to host the 2008 African Nations Cup finals leaving Ghana and Libya in the race to organise the bi-annual tournament.
South African Football association president Molefi Oliphant said on Monday his country were pulling out after winning the right to host the 2010 World Cup.
He said the association had decided to concentrate all its efforts on the 2010 event.
The Confederation of African Football are scheduled to decide on the 2008 host nation when they meet in Cairo in July. There are plans to send an inspection team to both countries before the vote of the CAF executive committee but no details have yet to released of the planned visits.
Ghana have previously hosted the Nations Cup finals in 1963, 1978 and as co-hosts with Nigeria in 2000. Libya were hosts in 1982, when Ghana ironically last won the event.
The next Nations Cup finals are to be hosted in Egypt in 2006.
Algeria and Morocco have already stated their interest in hosting the 2010 Nations Cup tournament.
Morocco were beaten by South Africa in the vote earlier in May to decide the host of the 2010 World Cup finals, to be held in Africa for the first time.