Morocco is the new hosts for the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The North African country was unanimously awarded the rights to host the continental competition following a Saturday Confederations of African Football (CAF) Emergency Committee meeting in Lagos Nigeria.

Morocco now replaces Kenya, which was stripped of the rights to host that tournament for lack of preparation.

The decision to strip the East African country of the hosting rights was reached at following three assessment visits by CAF officials. A CAF Executive Committee meeting held on September 23 in Accra, Ghana made the decision, giving the football authority until October 14 to find a replacement.

Morocco had bid for the competition hosting rights alongside Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia.

According to CAF, Ethiopia’s bid was rejected because the country’s authorities failed to provide a government’s letter of guarantee, which is a mandatory document required by the rules of application of the Statutes of the CAF.

The CHAN 2018 event is scheduled to take place from January 12 to February 4, and will bring together 16 national teams composed exclusively of local based players.