AFCON 2019. CAF Visiting Team Met Change Environment
The third inspection mission of the Confederation of the African Football is in Cameroon to evaluate the level of preparedness of the country in hosting the 2019 continental competition. Visibly the delegation is impressed with work done so far.
Cynthia EFOPA
Since the arrival of the nine-man inspection team from the Confederation of African Football in Cameroon on August 7th 2018, they have already visited a host of infrastructures geared towards the hosting of the upcoming 2019 African Cup of Nations. In the city of Yaounde, where they commence their evaluation tour, the team visited the Olembe Football Stadium which is under construction. This was in the presence of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education Bidoung Mkpatt and the Governor of the Center Region Nasseri Paul Bea. Work on the 60.000 capacity stadium had advanced as compared to their last visit to the site last March. According to the Director of the Italian Piccini company charged with the construction of the major project, work on the stadium will be completed and handed to the Cameroon government in December 2018. He explained that there has been considerable efforts in meeting with the deadline. Next stop for the team that was led by the Deputy Secretary General for CAF Antony Baffoe was the Military Stadium, the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium and its training pitch. At all levels, the inspection team was visibly satisfied. The upcoming grandiose event will be an occasion for media men and women to show their professional capacity in shooting and transmitting images as well as reporting sports news. It is within this framework that the CAF delegation made a stop at the Cameroon Radio and Television in Mballa II to take stock of the quality of equipment owned by this state media and to evaluate its fitness in covering events of such magnitude.
Out of Yaounde, the inspection team took a flight to Garoua in the North Region of Cameroon. The nine man delegation split in two, with five of them tasked to take care of football stadia while the other four inspected lodging facilities such as hotels and restaurants. Roumde Adjia Satdium was the first on the list, then the training pitches of Reyre, Poumpoumre. Since the visit of the Prime Minister and Head of Government Philemon Yang, the 2019 CAN projects in Garoua were already well advanced. Completion is estimated at a global rate of 55percent.
After Garoua, then came the turn of Bafoussam in the West Region. Work was equally on a good footing as the Chinese company in charge of construction works reassures the delegation that work will be completed by the end of this year. From every indication, one can clearly conclude that Cameroon is steadily making advances in its preparation to host the 2019 African Cup of nations.
