The lights are on green in Côte d’Ivoire for the preparation of the 2023 African Cup of Nations. Veron Mosengo-Omba, the secretary general of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), assured at the end of last week that the construction work on the stadiums had “progressed well.” Even better: they would be of “World Cup class,” according to the Congolese leader. Véron Mosengo-Omba made a six-day visit to the hotel, sports and hospital infrastructures in Côte d’Ivoire. An inspection that he closed with a smile. “There is still finishing work required to meet the specifications of the CAF, he explained. They will take time, but we are convinced that at the end of June 2023, the three unfinished stadiums can be approved by our services to be used for CAF or FIFA competitions.” Originally scheduled for June and July 2023, the next edition of the CAN is scheduled to take place from January 13 to February 11, 2024. The continental tournament will be played in six Ivorian stadiums, three of which are already ready, located respectively in Ebimpe, on the outskirts of Abidjan (60,000 seats), Bouake in the center of the country (40,000 seats), and Yamoussoukro also in the center (20,000 seats). The other three venues, still under construction, will be in San Pedro, in the southwest of Côte d’Ivoire (20,000 seats), Korhogo in the north (20,000 seats), and finally in Abidjan, where the historic Félix Houphouët-Boigny stadium (33,000 seats) is being renovated. Côte d’Ivoire has organized the CAN only once since its inception, at its 14th edition in 1984.
