By James Copnall

Senegal and Morocco are to host a football tournament featuring the continent's six best sides, in order to promote African unity.

The tournament, to be held in December, will feature Africa's five World Cup teams - Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Tunisia and South Africa - together with hosts Morocco.

The teams will be divided in two pools, and the two top teams will meet in a final to be held in Senegal.

"Morocco will host the pool matches, to be followed by a gala dinner to which all African leaders will be invited," Senegal's foreign minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio said.

All proceeds from the tournament will be given to l'Afrique Aide l'Afrique (AAA - Africa Supports Africa), an organisation that groups together 47 of Africa's 53 states.

The initiative is aimed at harnessing the positive image given of Africa by the exploits of its footballers during the recent World Cup.

"We intend to link up with what these young African footballers did for Africa's football during the World Cup 2002 and what AAA does for Africans," Gadio told a Dakar press conference.

The tournament will also be a chance for Africa to demonstrate its capacity to host major international sporting events.

Negotiations

Speaking at the same press conference the head of Senegalese Radio and Television (RTS), Mactar Silla, stressed this point.

"Africa and its football talent are in the limelight.

"We must, through this football tournament, show that our continent is capable of organising spectacular pageants like the World Cup," Silla said.

Negotiations have already started with TV channels throughout Africa to show the event.