Lagos — Ghana may bid for the hosting of the 2016 African Cup of Nations, two years after hosting the continent's most historic event. Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are billed to jointly host the next biannual showpiece in 2012, before Libya takes the stage two-years on.

Ghana could go for another bite of the cherry in 2016, according to President John Evans Atta-Mills. President Mills told the Confederation of African Football (CAF) President, Issa Hayatou that Ghana would seriously consider an appeal to bid for the hosting rights of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The President, who was a recipient of a CAF Platinum award at the Glo-CAf Awards in Accra, on Thursday, at the plush Banquet Hall of the State House in Accra, told Hayatou and his delegation at the Castle on Wednesday that Ghana would also be interested in other tournaments on the continental body's calendar.

President Atta-Mills said the country is counting on CAF to help develop football in Ghana. Hayatou in his response said Ghana's rich democratic credentials and commendation from sports writers across the continent would influence the decision to invite the country to bid for the hosting rights for future tournaments.

Ghana was believed to have raised the benchmark, when 15 teams joined the Black Stars for the 2008 tournament that Egypt won in Accra.