CAF: Gabon designated the host of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations

Gabon has been named the host of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations by the CAF Executive Committee, stated Issa Hayatou, the president of the African confederation, in Cairo (EGY) on 08/04/2015.

Three countries -- Algeria, Gabon and Ghana -- were in the running for the organisation of the AFCON 2017. Gabon co-hosted the 2012 edition of the AFCON alongside Equatorial Guinea. The 2017 edition will be the first that the country will organise on its own.

• Just after the announcement of the host of the final tournament, CAF conducted the draw for the 13 groups (four teams each) for qualification to AFCON 2017, on 08/04/2015.
• Gabon, host country of the 2017 edition, are automatically qualified, but was placed in Group I of qualifying. The team's points will not be counted, and the matches will be considered friendlies.

Initially, Libya was organising the AFCON CAN

• Libya was to organise AFCON 2017, but the country withdrew in August 2014, due to the unstable political situation in the country.
• The applications of Algeria, Egypt, Gabon and Ghana were "recognised to have met the…