What does it take to host the AFCON?
Mqondisi Dube - Chakalisa Dube | Saturday March 26, 2022 06:00
Hosting the Africa Cup of Nations finals costs in excess of P100 million. Botswana and Namibia are prepared to share the cost to bring the football showpiece to southern Africa. The cost of hosting has gone up with the tournament now increased from 16 to 24 teams.
On paper, the two first-timers start as favourites to win the bid against countries from the west and the north. CAF appears to be now leaning towards giving hosting rights to first-time bidders.
Added to that, the two countries have infrastructure that they can refurbish or renovate at a reasonable cost to host the games. The two’s bid can be compared to other previous co-hosts Gabon and Equatorial Guinea who successfully convinced CAF that they have what it takes to host the tournament in 2012.
The minimum requirement for hosting the tournament is that the host should have six stadiums to cater for all the 24 teams that will be part of the tournament. In addition, CAF has established one of two stadiums should have two 40,000 capacity stadiums two 20,000-seater stadiums and two with a capacity of 15,000.
How Botswana and Namibia will approach the issue of venues remains a matter that would be disclosed once the bidding process takes shape. But the two countries do have venues that they can use to convince CAF that they can work on to host the tournament.
Botswana’s top facility at the moment is the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, which has a capacity of 27,000. The facility is relatively new and might not cost government a fortune to upgrade in time for the tournament. The facility is the one that enjoys the luxury of hosting CAF club competitions and national team matches at the moment, after the National Stadium and Lobatse Sports Complex failed the CAF test.
Before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the National Stadium underwent several refurbishments amounting to millions of pula. While it failed CAF inspection, the stadium is still in good shape to be considered as one of the three, alongside the Lobatse Sports Complex and the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium, to host the tournament. The facility can accommodate 25,000 spectators, but its capacity can be increased to 40,000 with relative ease and at a reasonable cost because it is not in a dilapidated state.
The Lobatse Stadium is also one of the facilities that can be used by Botswana and Namibia to convince CAF that they do have what it takes to successfully host the games. It’s a 22,000-capacity stadium.
Namibia’s trump card is the Independence Stadium in the heart of Windhoek. It holds 25,000 fans and also has room for expansion. However, the stadium as of last year was said to be dilapidated and in need of service. Namibia’s Brave Warriors have been forced to play their matches away from home after local facilities were condemned by CAF.
The Sam Nujoma Stadium, also in Windhoek, is not being used due to structural defects. It has a capacity of 10,000.
Other facilities in Namibia have a carrying capacity of less than 10,000.
Between the two countries, only one stadium, the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium has been passed fit to host international matches, which will worry authorities from both countries. However, there is ample time between now and 2027 to put the structures in the right shape.