CAF counting on Ghana

Accra, Dec 10, GNA - The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is counting on Ghana to deliver a fabulous African Cup of Nations come January 20 - February 10, 2008.

Slim Aloulou, leader of the continental body's inspection team who assessed facilities in Ghana, says CAF was depending on the country to stage a fine competition and maintain the standards. He said 90 percent of works for a successful competition has been done and encouraged the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports and the Local Organizing Committer (LOC) to collaborate to ensure a fine competition.

Mr. Aloulou similarly underscored the need to consider the remaining 10 percent of work as crucial to the success of the event and emphasized on the urgency to speed up the process of producing an unblemished competition.

The inspection team quantified some of the training pitches at some of the centers still under construction, security and access roads at Sekondi-Takoradi as the main issues within the ten percent unresolved hitches.

The CAF Executive Committee Member who expressed great satisfaction with work done on accommodation, the stadia and preparations, among other facilities, urged the Ministry to employ the services of an expert to remedy the deterioration of some of the grass at the various playing pitches.

"I will encourage you to devote more time to the grass at the pitches and employ an expert to work on that." This is CAF's last visit to Ghana ahead of the commencement of the continental flagship event that brings the best 16 teams on one stage.