CAF President Patrice Motsepe has declared the ongoing AFCON 2023 the “best staged by the continent,” praising the contributions of the finalists, Nigeria, the host nation, Cote d’Ivoire, and all the other participating teams.
During an interactive session with journalists in Abidjan on Friday, Motsepe expressed his confidence regarding an exciting final on Sunday, mentioning that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu would be among the dignitaries attending the event
“I was told the President of Nigeria is coming,” Motsepe revealed. “I was sitting next to the Vice President (Kashim Shettima) during the Nigeria-South Africa game. While I can’t show excitement when any nation scores, they said they could see my happiness. And yes, I am always happy!”
Motsepe expressed his admiration for Nigeria, stating, “If you haven’t been to Lagos, you haven’t been to Africa. As president of 54 member federations, I owe them all a duty, but I am proud of Nigeria.”
Political jamboree
Over the years, football has been one great unifying factor among Nigerians, and this year’s AFCON has not been different, especially in the face of economic hardship.
Aside from the Vice President gracing the game against South Africa’s Bafana, the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and his Bayelsa counterpart, Douye Diri, were also in Bouake for the semi-final game.
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In the quarter-final game, Senate President Godswill Akpabio was present along with Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, among many other politicians.
Wider reach
The CAF boss further emphasised the tournament’s global reach: “We have close to two billion people watching this AFCON. We should feel proud as a continent for putting up such an exceptional tournament.”
Now in its 34th edition, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was born in 1957 with only four teams, but it has now blossomed into a continental football powerhouse with 24 teams doing battle.
Early years saw Egypt and Ghana dominate, followed by a “decade of champions” in the 1970s. Cameroon rose in the 1980s, while Nigeria and others joined the fray, solidifying AFCON’s expanding appeal.
In recent years, there have been format changes, scheduling in odd years, and the emergence of new champions such as Zambia and Ivory Coast. Senegal, the current titleholder, faced an early exit, indicating there will be a new champion on Sunday.
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