Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have for long embarked on preparations aimed at a successful championship during the 28th edition of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, they will co-host in two years time.
They work together, make decisions together with a common Organizing Committee.
At a press conference in Talatona Convention Hotel, located on the outskirts of Luanda, President of Gabon Local Organising Committee (COCAN) Rene Hilaire Adiaheno and his Equatorial Guinean counterpart Ruslan Obiang Nsue, who doubles as his country’s Secretary of Sports outlined preparations for the tournament.
Chairing the briefing, CAF president Issa Hayatou recalled that both countries had been honoured in 2006 at the time of their appointment by the CAF and stressed that the supreme African football welcomed the co-organization “We want to give all the countries of our continent the opportunity to organize this major event and we know that not everyone can do and for this reason, we believe that the co-organization is a good thing. We have every confidence in the challenge launched by the two Central African countries.”
He concluded by informing the audience that the CAF would maintain the timing of the CAN in January, as this year in Angola.
In his speech the President of Gabon COCAN emphasized “There is only one COCAN. We work in full partnership and we solve the problems after consultation.”
Rene Hilaire Adiaheno also outlined the following:
- The opening ceremony and opening match will take place in Equatorial Guinea
- The final and closing ceremony will be hosted in Gabon
- The draw will take place in Equatorial Guinea
- The General Assembly CAF will be held in Gabon
- The host sites will be Bata, Franceville, Libreville and Malabo
- The stadiums for the competition have already been built since Equatorial Guinea has also hosted the CAF Women’s Championship two years ago, and Gabon has renovated their to international standards. A new stadium is being constructed in Libreville. They stadia have a capacity between 20,000 and 40,000 spectators.
Obiang Nsue said a major effort would be made on infrastructure, road, air, hotels, telecommunications, so that the African Cup of Nations will serve a real factor of development for the two countries.
“Everything that needs to bone done will be done” the duo jointly declared.
The Equatorial Guinean said his country would host in 2011 the General Assembly of the African Union (AU) and as such they could easily understand that his country would be ready well in advance.
“The CAN 2012 is part of a comprehensive program of structural development.”
His counterpart from Gabon however said his outfit has budgeted 20 million US Dollars for 2010 towards preparations.
They concluded that the two countries would establish a common visa to encourage movements from one country to the other during the CAN.
For them, their slogan is “Two countries, one competition for a tournament rich in emotions.