AFCON 2023:Ivory Coast spends over $1 billion on pre-tournament preparations

In a bid to be a safe abode for the 23 African countries visiting Abdijan,Yamoussoukro,Bouake,San Pedro Ebimpé and it’s environs,La Côte d’Ivoire have spent a staggering $1 billion on infrastructural development in readiness for the forthcoming Africas Cup of Nations(AFCON).

The quest to host the 34th edition of the Total Energies African Cup of Nations by Ivory Coast originally began in 2021.The Republic of Ivory Coast were scheduled to host the tournament in 2021 while the previous edition in 2019 was to be hosted in Cameroon.

However,due to the unreadiness of Cameroon to host the tournament in 2019,the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later awarded the 2021 edition to Cameroon with the 2023 edition given to Ivory Coast.

The tournament,which was later rescheduled from June to July of the ongoing year was further moved to January 2024 to avoid Ivory Coast’s harsh rainy conditions.

The tournament will be mainly staged in five different cities,with the general financial estimation being that the country has invested a little more than $1 billion on roads,stadia,hospitals and other infrastructures ahead of Africa’s most prestigious footballing showpiece.

The West African country,which last hosted the tournament in 1984,has built and renovated six stadia ahead of the competition.This includes the 60,000-capacity Alassane Ouattara national stadium in Ebimpe,as well as a 40,000-seater Stade de la Paix in the central city of Bouake,and the 20,000-capacity Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro.

The 20,000-capacity venues — in the coastal port city of San Pedro and the northern city of Korhogo are ready to play their part ahead of the Total Energies AFCON. 

The 24 teams that secured qualification to the AFCON tournament have been divided into six groups of four teams facing each other,where qualifications will be based on head-to-head outcomes between countries.

The six top most teams with the most points in each group,as well as the runners-up,will advance to the knockout round.

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Story by:David Kwaku Dzaku |univers.ug.edu.gh