Confederation of African Football (CAF) has taken action to protect its website after it appeared to be hacked.

According to Associated Press a person sent an email claiming the group New World Hackers had “taken down” the CAF website.

The hackers notified Associated Press of their hack stating that they shut down the website due to CAF “running the Africa Cup in a country where the dictator Ali Bongo is killing innocent people!”

The www.cafonline.com was not working for around five hours on Saturday, leading officials from African football’s ruling body to investigate a technical fault prior to deciding the issue lay elsewhere.

“Caf has taken action but we can’t certify 100% it will not happen again,” Junior Binyam, the governing body’s communications director, told the press.

This year’s Nations Cup has been the subject of opposition from a section of Gabonese who have used it as a vehicle to express political grievances.

On Sunday, Gabon became the first Nations Cup hosts in 23 years to be eliminated in the group stage of a Nations Cup following a limp goalless draw against Cameroon.