Gabon has been confirmed as the host country for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou announced the news at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Libya had been initially selected to stage the competition, but its hosting rights were withdrawn in August last year due to the unstable security situation in the country.

Algeria, Ghana, Gabon and Egypt had bids accepted by CAF, although the latter withdrew its application in February.

But CAF has put its faith in Gabon, marking the second time in five years that the central African nation will stage the event.

Gabon served as co-hosts in 2012 alongside Equatorial Guinea, which held the 2015 competition after Morocco refused to stage the tournament due to concerns over the spread of the Ebola virus.

Jorge Costa's Gabon were eliminated in the group stages of this year's AFCON. They reached the quarter-finals in 1996 and 2012, but have never gone beyond the last eight.