Its Health Ministry has reportedly asked organisers the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to call off the tournament, scheduled for January 17 to February 8, over fears of the epidemic spreading.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation said more than 4,000 people have now died from the virus since first reports of its outbreak in the west of Africa in March.

Four African nations - Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria - are battling to control the spread of the disease.

The CAF has already moved qualifying matches for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations out of Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Guinea, pictured here playing Togo last month, have played their home qualifiers in Morocco ©AFP/Getty Images


Guinea are playing their qualifying matches in Casablanca, Morocco, and Sierra Leone in Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon so far, while Liberia have failed to advance to the final stage of qualification.

Nigeria are still playing matches at home.

In August, all international sporting events in the Ivory Coast - which is still in qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations - were suspended until further notice because of the spread of Ebola.

The biennial competition was last held in Morocco in 1988 and has kicked off in January or February every year since 1996.

Seven bids have been submitted to stage the 2017 competition, which had originally been awarded to Libya before it withdrew due to ongoing unrest in the country.

Algeria, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Sudan and Zimbabwe will learn which has won the right to stage the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations during one of the CAF's Executive Committee meetings next year.