Hackers crash Afcon website

2008-02-02 21:38

Accra - Hackers on Saturday broke into the official website of the Africa Cup of Nations (www.ghanacan2008) and again claimed that Moroccan fans were behind the attack.

Morocco's Atlas Lions were on Monday beaten 2-0 by the hosts and eliminated from the competition. The team has since flown home.

On Saturday the website, which is being used widely by football fans and journalists to book accommodation and make transport arrangements, was down the whole day.

Instead of being usable, the website carried a message from a "ghost from Morocco."

The media co-ordinator of the local organising committee (LOC) Paa Kwesi Plange said that they were aware the site had been compromised on Saturday morning and was still not operational in the evening.

"We are busy trying to rectify the situation. It is very sad, because a lot of people are using the site for information," he said.

All pages of the official website were blocked and could not be viewed as website visitors were always taken back to the opening page with the message.

Earlier in the week hackers had displayed a picture of a Moroccan fan with the saying: "Because of your STUPID Arbitration, You Got Punished By Moroccan Hackers, Revenge Token (sic) for The Lions."

It also included a profanity in Arabic, as well as a personal greeting to someone called Nada.

Moroccan players and fans complained after their defeat against the Black Stars on Monday that the referee had favoured the hosts.

- SAPA