The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe arrived in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde Monday morning ahead of Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations final draw.
Greeted by Cameroon Football Federation president Seidou Mbombo Njoya at the Nsimalem International Airport, Motsepe is due to preside over the draw ceremony which will take place at the Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex.
The 1,500 capacity sports complex will host 650 guests as part of anti-COVID measures, according Cameroonian sports officials.
Several African football legends, including former Cote D’ivoire striker Didier Drogba, ex-Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan, and former Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o Fils have already arrived the Central African nation for the ceremony.
The Confederation of African Football initially scheduled the ceremony for June but postponed it due to “logistical reasons” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The biennial football championship will take place in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2022, with the participation of 24 teams.
Cameroon is ready to host the Africa Cup of Nations final draw and the Central African nation will deliver a great event, the country’s Minister of Sports and Physical Education Narcisse Mouelle Kombi said on Monday.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday at the Multipurpose Sports Complex in the capital Yaounde.
“The public will be served an unprecedented spectacular show. The ceremony will feature a lot of highlights and demonstrate the cultural, touristic and sports potentials of Cameroon with a lot of other surprises,” Kombi told reporters in Yaounde.
Speaking highly of Cameroon’s efforts in preparing for the biggest football event on the continent next year, Kombi said the country was already endowed with stadiums that feature cutting-edge equipment and first-class infrastructure.
“We want to organise an excellent Africa Cup of Nations next year and tomorrow’s ceremony will show the world our capacity to organize major sporting events now and in future,” he said.
The draw ceremony, which had been postponed once due to “logistical reasons” caused by the coronavirus pandemic, will take place in strict respect of anti-COVID measures, according to officials.
Africa Cup of Nations will take place in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2022, with the participation of 24 teams.
