Ghana 2008 a 'bridge to SA 2010'
15 January 2008
With Africa's first Fifa World Cup just two-and-a-half years away, every tournament hosted on the continent will come under close scrutiny - a fact the organisers of the Ghana 2008 MTN African Cup of Nations (Afcon) are well aware of.
With Africa's premier football event just a few days away, they're confident they will rise to the occasion and host a memorable event, Fifa said on its website this week.
Amid much fanfare, the glitzy Afcon trophy made an appearance at the Safa House headquarters of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) in Johannesburg last week.
The trophy was in South Africa as part of a trophy tour of the 16 countries competing in Ghana 2008 from 20 January to 10 February.
It was brought to Safa House by Ghana 2008 organising committee board member David Tetteh, Tamale Venue organising committee chairman Bollina Saaka and former Ghana international Anthony Baffoe, who is also the Ghana 2008
director for international relations.
They presented the trophy to the 2010 LOC chief executive officer Danny Jordaan.
"We're building a bridge from Ghana to South Africa and we are doing everything to host a fantastic African Cup of Nations," said Baffoe, who played for Ghana's Black Stars 16 times and made his name in the German Bundesliga with clubs such as FC Koln, Stuttgart Kickers and Fortuna Dusseldorf.
"For us it is an African World Cup of Nations in reference to 2010. People are coming to Ghana not only to see how Ghana is organised, but how Africa is organised," Baffoe said. "We all are looking forward to a wonderful experience in Ghana. The expectation that this will be the best ever African Nations Cup is huge.
"Certainly from a playing point of view, featuring players like Kolo Toure, Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel, we're expecting that it will deliver high-quality football," Baffoe added.
"We have African
players who are now not only in the starting line-ups, but who are stars at some of the biggest clubs in the world."
Jordaan said Ghana 2008 would further strengthen the character of the game on the continent.
"You will help us," Jordaan said. "Because if you do a good job - and we know you will - people will see that not only are Africans good on the playing field, they're good organisers as well."
From a 2010 perspective, Jordaan added, there was the added incentive for the winners of Ghana 2008 of a guaranteed place at the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Dr Jordaan commended the Ghana 2008 LOC for their decision to take the Afcon trophy to all the competing countries.
"It gives those countries the chance to experience the symbols of the tournament and also helps to market the African Nations Cup," Jordaan said. "It is a trophy and a tournament that needs to be entrenched in the hearts and minds of all African people."
Tetteh said
that bringing the African Nations Cup trophy to South Africa was a "great privilege".
"It's great sharing this moment with you," Tetteh said. "South Africa and Ghana have always been very good friends, and the warm welcome we received after touching down in South Africa testified to that friendship."
Source: BuaNews
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