Ghana Football Association Vice President, George Afriyie is unsatisfied with Gabon’s preparation and readiness to host the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, describing facilities in the host country as “below standard”.
Afriyie was a member of Ghana’s delegation for the Afcon draw in Libreville last week, and took opportunity to inspect the facilities at the host venues—but the Black Stars management committee chairman say he was not pleased with the second-rate facilities in Gabon.
The Black Stars have been paired in Group D alongside Egypt, Uganda and Mali in Port-Gentil, the second largest city in Gabon.
The city is known for its petroleum and timber industries but George Afriyie is clearly not impressed with the facilities in the town.
“My worry is the teams based in Franceville, Port-Gentil and Oyem. In terms of hotel facilities, I don’t think it meets a four star or three star hotel at best two star hotel,” he told Joy Sports.
“To my best analysis, I think they are below standard.”
“It is not really going to affect us, we need to just psyche our players to accept at least maximum of a three weeks tournament. They need to adjust themselves to that. They are Africans so they know how to adjust themselves to it.”
“We have done this before, when we were in Equatorial Guinea in our final match against Ivory Coast, we were housed in a container but we were able to make it.”
Ghana’s first game will be on January 17 against Uganda Cranes at the yet to be completed 20,000 capacity Stade Port-Gentil