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Morocco, East African Nations Win Africa Cup of Nations Hosting Rights

Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Patrice Motsepe announces the host countries for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations during a ceremony held in Cairo on September 27, 2023. © Khaled Desouki, AFP
Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Patrice Motsepe announces the host countries for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations during a ceremony held in Cairo on September 27, 2023. © Khaled Desouki, AFP
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Morocco, East African Nations Win Africa Cup of Nations Hosting Rights

Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Patrice Motsepe announces the host countries for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations during a ceremony held in Cairo on September 27, 2023. © Khaled Desouki, AFP
Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Patrice Motsepe announces the host countries for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations during a ceremony held in Cairo on September 27, 2023. © Khaled Desouki, AFP

Morocco won by default after Algeria, Zambia and a joint bid from Benin and Nigeria all withdrew before the vote of the Confederation of African Football's executive committee in Cairo on Wednesday.

The north African country was a runaway favorite and will see the decision as a boost to their hopes of co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain, Reuters reported.

It is only the second time that Morocco will host Africa's most popular sporting event, almost four decades after the previous time in 1988.

The joint East African bid for 2027 returns the finals to the region for the first time since 1976.

They beat Botswana, Egypt and Senegal in a vote of the CAF executive committee. Algeria were also a candidate but withdrew on Tuesday.

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Salah Double Sends Liverpool 8 Points Clear in Premier League as United Draws First Game with Amorim

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leaves the pitch after the English Premier League soccer match between Southampton and Liverpool in Southampton, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leaves the pitch after the English Premier League soccer match between Southampton and Liverpool in Southampton, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
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Salah Double Sends Liverpool 8 Points Clear in Premier League as United Draws First Game with Amorim

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leaves the pitch after the English Premier League soccer match between Southampton and Liverpool in Southampton, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah leaves the pitch after the English Premier League soccer match between Southampton and Liverpool in Southampton, England, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP)

It has been more than 30 years since a team held as big a lead as Liverpool after 12 rounds of the Premier League.

Not that Arne Slot is getting too excited about an eight-point advantage before even hitting December.

“It’s nice to have this position,” the Liverpool manager said Sunday after Mohamed Salah inspired a 3-2 come-from-behind win at Southampton, “but we are definitely not getting carried away.”

Only Manchester United's class of 1993-94 — under Alex Ferguson — has had a larger lead than Slot's Liverpool at this stage of a Premier League campaign. The title stayed at Old Trafford that season.

It's those kind of glory days that Ruben Amorim is trying to recreate after taking charge of United and the Portuguese coach could hardly have got off to a better start.

Only 81 seconds had elapsed before United marked Amorim's first game at the helm with a goal from Marcus Rashford at Ipswich.

United couldn't hold out and a 1-1 draw against a team destined to be battling against relegation underlined the scale of Amorim's task to turn around the fortunes of a fallen giant in English soccer.