AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS - Ethiopia and Kenya bid to host 2017 Africa Cup

Ethiopia Football Federation president Junedin Basha told BBC Sport: "We already have two ready venues, the Addis Ababa and the Bahir Dar stadiums, and the construction of the other venues has also reached to a good level.

26 Aug 2014
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2014 - GROUP STAGE - 6TH MATCHES - ALL RESULTS

GROUP A and GROUP B

25 Aug 2014
AFRICAN CONFEDERATION CUP 2014 - GROUP STAGE - 6TH MATCHES - ALL RESULTS

This weekend's fixtures

GROUP A
• Real Bamako vs Coton Sport 1:1
• AC Leopards (CGO) vs ASEC Mimosas 4:1
GROUP B
• Sewe San Pedro vs Nkana 3:0
• Al Ahly vs Etoile Sahel 0:0

25 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - CAMEROON - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW

Eto'o dropped from Cameroon squad for Nations Cup qualifiers - Cameroon have made a major overhaul to their squad, dropping 13 players from the party who went to the World Cup including captain Samuel Eto'o.

24 Aug 2014
AFRICAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2014 - GROUP STAGE - 6TH MATCHES - PREVIEW

Mazemebe & Sfaxien out to avoid clash in semi-finals
This weekend's fixtures

GROUP A
• Al Hilal vs Zamalek -:-
• AS Vita Club vs TP Mazembe -:-
GROUP B
• CS Sfaxien vs Entente Setif -:-
• Esperance vs Al Ahli -:-

23 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - SOUTH AFRICA - 1ST MATCHES - Ephraim Mashaba names first squad

Masahaba said: "It is very interesting to select the national team players, but there is also the difficult side of it, especially at this level where there are several very good players in different positions. 

22 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - GHANA - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW

Ghana drop Kwarasey and Essien for Nations Cup qualifiers - Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has named a 24-man squad for next month's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

21 Aug 2014
AFRICAN CONFEDERATION CUP 2014 - GROUP STAGE - 6TH MATCHES - PREVIEW

This weekend's fixtures

GROUP A
• Real Bamako vs Coton Sport -:-
• AC Leopards (CGO) vs ASEC Mimosas -:-
GROUP B
• Sewe San Pedro vs Nkana -:-
• Al Ahly vs Etoile Sahel -:-

21 Aug 2014
2015 AFRICA CUP QUALIFIERS - GROUP STAGE - NIGERIA - 1ST MATCHES - PREVIEW

Nigeria recall Sone Aluko for qualifiers - He wins his first call-up in more than two years for the matches against Congo on 6 September and South Africa four days later.

20 Aug 2014
Transfer - Ghana - Derek Boateng unveiled by SD Eibar

The 31-year-old, who played for Ghana in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, joined as a free agent only 24 hours after his contact with Rayo Vallecano ended.

19 Aug 2014

2015 AFRICA CUP - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY

AFRICA CUP 2015

Mongomo, the hometown of Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang, along with Ebebeyin, Bata and Malabo are set to host the finals.

Equatorial Guinea agreed to organise the tournament last month at the request of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

CAF took the finals away from Morocco, who had demanded a delay due to their fears over Ebola.

The stadiums in Malabo and Bata were both used as venues when Equatorial Guinea co-hosted the 2012 Nations Cup with Gabon.

However work needs to be done on the grounds in both Ebebeyin and Mongomo.

"The turf for Mongomo and Ebebeyin stadiums is going to be brought by plane from Europe," one of the supervisors told the BBC.

Work also needs to be done on the stadium structure and other facilities, but all those involved in the preparations are confident the work will be completed in time.

"Time is a big challenge but the good thing is that it's not new for us to work against time," said Francisca Obiang Jimenez, the president of the Office of National Projects, who was there supervising the works.

"We have built almost an entire city, Sipopo, in about two years and we've also built a highway.

"Everybody was expecting that that would finish four years from now but we finished it on time, so I don't think there will be much problem with the stadiums."

The new highway means you can travel from Bata, on the coast, to Mongomo, located near the eastern border with Gabon, in around two hours.

While the stadiums look set to be ready in time, having enough accommodation could be a challenge for the organisers in both Mongomo and Ebebeyin.

Ebebeyin has only one large hotel of international standards.

"We have hotels and we have also some social houses that we've finished building and have not given to anybody yet," Ms Obiang Jimenez told us.

"So we are furnishing them in case we find ourselves with not enough rooms but, according to what the CAF said, we have more than enough."

The government and organisers are also taking measures against the possibility of the deadly Ebola virus getting into the country.

All passengers arriving at Malabo airport from abroad are having their temperature checked.

There was also an Ebola screening exercise at Bata stadium, before a match of the CEMAC (Economic Community of Central African States) Cup, which is currently being staged in Equatorial Guinea.

"During the Cup of Nations, there will be other controls and this kind of protection will be happening further away from the stadium," a local fan, Juan Esono, told us.

A Cameroonian working at the Mongomo stadium told BBC Sport: "I've been checked many times for Ebola when crossing the border near Ebebeyin. 

So I don't think there will be a problem with the virus here."

 

11 Dec 2014
(BBC Africa by Manuel Toledo)

Related countries

Related articles