South Africa is reluctant to step in as a replacement host for next year's Africa Cup of Nations because the sport ministry fears Ebola and unplanned staging costs.
"There are just too many factors to consider for South Africa," the department of sport and recreation said in a statement on Friday.
Morocco, the original host for the football tournament scheduled for January and February, wants it postponed because of Ebola and may give up the event completely.
The Confederation of African Football approached South Africa, Ghana and other countries to be on standby if Morocco withdraws.
But it's possible that no one else wants it because of the limited preparation time and the threat of the deadly disease spreading through tens of thousands of travellers heading to the three-week, 16-team event.
South Africa's sports ministry stressed it had not yet been officially asked by the South African Football Association to consider hosting the tournament, but referred to the "Ebola challenge engulfing the continent."
More than 4,500 people have died in West Africa in the worst recorded outbreak of the virus. The outbreak is still not contained in the three countries worst affected: Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Ebola has no known cure or vaccination.
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