Organizing the Orange CAN 2010 is an eight years ideal

Heading: The idea of holding a final phase of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola arose by the time of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. After eight years, the event will take place in Angola, from Sunday on, with the special characteristic of having four stadia built specially for the tournament.

In fact, since the first edition of the tournament in 1957 in Sudan, where Egypt ended champion, the biggest football competition of Africa has never been competed in four infrastructures built specially for this purpose. This was indeed one of the biggest trumps of the national application.

Submitted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) by the president of the Angolan Football Federation, Justino Fernandes, Angola’s application has beaten the proposals of Nigeria, Libya and Gabon/ Equatorial- Guinea in the final phase.

We were in September of 2006 when the country stopped to hear the announcement of the Cameroonian Issa Hayatou, president of the governing body of African football, saying that Angola would host indeed the Orange CAN 2010. Done!

The national application, based in the fact that the country was economically developing and the added responsibility of the Government on building four stadia from scratch has convinced the 13 members of CAF’S Executive Committee.

Since 2002 until the present day, with the tournament already to begin, it has been a long period of hard work, with the direct participation of the Government, confirmed in 2008 with the creation of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee, chaired by prime minister, Paulo Kassoma.

As promised, the Government invested on building four stadia and on rebuilding other 13 in Luanda, Benguela, Cabinda and Huila, as well as hotels, roads, hospitals and airports, which despite of being framed within the scope of national reconstruction, were speed up for the Orange CAN 2010.

The stadium of Luanda, designated as 11 de Novembro, is the biggest of the four stadia built for the Orange CAN 2010 and has a capacity of 50,000 spectators. Located in Camama, in the municipality of Kilamba Kiaxi, 11 de Novembro will be the stage of the opening (10) and closing (31) of the tournament.

Ombaka National Stadium in Benguela holds a capacity for 35,000 spectators while Chiazi (Cabinda) and Tundavala (Huila) 20,000 each. These are the official stadia for the tournament whose international quality has been already recognized by the members of the CAF.

Angola’s Government mobilized local authorities, the Angolan Football Federation and national and private agents to make the Orange CAN 2010 a mark of peace and economic growth, so that it constitutes proud and self-esteem for all Angolans, from Cabinda to Cunene.