Hayatou Urges Ghana To Improve Soccer Facilities

ACCRA, Ghana (PANA) - The President of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, has asked Ghana to make improvement on its sports facilities for the 23rd African Cup of Nations scheduled to be co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria in January 2000.

Hayatou, who led a CAF delegation to the country to inspect Accra and Kumasi Sports stadia, said his delegation found them not to be up to international standards.

He noted that the pitches and the training fields were only accepted during the African Youth soccer tournament (Ghana '99) because that competition was for juveniles.

"In this competition, about 90 percent of Africa's top footballers, who are professionals in Europe, will be featuring for their countries and if the pitches are not good, it will affect their performance and the prestige of the competition."

Hayatou called on the Local Organising Committee (LOC) to expand the press box and create more room for radio and television commentators since about 1,000 journalists will be accredited to the tournament.

"The VIP box in Accra also has to be enlarged to accommodate more foreign dignitaries because a lot of FIFA and CAF officials and diplomats of various countries in Ghana will be invited."

However, Hayatou said he was impressed about the standard of hotels, transportation, telecommunications network and medical facilities. He said the tournament was taken away from Zimbabwe because they did not have the infrastructure although CAF gave them enough time.

"In 1994 the competition was taken from Zaire and given to Tunisia, and in 1996, it was changed from Kenya to South Africa because of poor preparations, so this goes to prove that CAF did not have anything against Zimbabwe," he said.

Alhaji Dawuda Jawula, Chairman of the LOC, said the committee was aware of the points raised by the CAF president, adding that the two stadiums would soon be closed for re-grassing and improvement of the other facilities.

Meanwhile, Jawula, who is also the chairman of the Ghana Football Association, read a letter from the association addressed to the secretary of CAF, indicating Ghana's support for Hayatou's bid for re-election as CAF president.

Hayatou's only declared challenger so far is from Angola.