Nissan's global director Andreas Sigl has told Sports Mole that the motor company has no concerns regarding their sponsorship of next year's Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament was initially scheduled to have been hosted by Morocco, but the country's Football Federation relinquished that responsibility earlier this month as a result of the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa.
That decision sparked rumours that the 30th installment of the competition could be cancelled, while South Africa and even 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar were mooted as alternative options.
It was eventually announced that Equatorial Guinea would take up the role, with matches set to get underway on January 17.
However, despite all the uncertainty and upheaval, Sigl has insisted that AFCON's partner Nissan never had any intention of withdrawing their support.
"Of course, we are committed to the market. We look at Africa all over and it's a market that we care about. We've been there for a while and we want to continue. At the same time, we have the knowledge of the Ebola situation and it's something that we are taking seriously," he said.
"We trust that the authorities have made the right call and that people will be safe. From our point of view, we want to stick with the tournament and support it."
Nissan's contract with the tournament is due to end following the conclusion of the upcoming edition and Sigl also confirmed to Sports Mole that the agreement would be reviewed early in 2015.
Liam Apicella
