Yaounde stadiums near completion

Work at the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium is about 80 per cent completed, same as the annex stadiums number 1 and 2 as well as the military stadium.

Contrary to fears that Cameroon might not be ready for the 2016 AFCON, a visit by the CAF inspection team to the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium and the military stadium in Yaounde has revealed that the country is well advanced with preparations towards hosting the tournament.

The entire edifice of the stadium has been transformed with an ultra modern green turf already in place and seats affixed on the stadium. For now, work is concentrated on raising the roof over the presidential tribune and doing finishing work on the external buildings that will host toilets, restaurants and infirmaries.

Work on affixing and numbering of seats on the stadium will finish by October 5thwhile the two giant screens to be affixed on the stadium and the video surveillance and sound system will be completed by August 28. Already workers could be seen working on the scaffold for the roofing and the electronic score boards.

While the green turf is ready, the athletic track is yet to be completed. The pillars to carry the lighting system have already been erected. The control building will be completed on September 30. Work on the various parking lots outside the stadium will equally be completed by September 15. In a nutshell, all work will be completed on the stadium by October 15.

As concerns the annex stadiums, the annex stadium number 1 is almost completed with the green turfs growing though not yet to maturity and the grand stand as well as the dressing rooms already constructed. Meanwhile major work on the military stadium in Yaounde is already done with the green turf in place, the seating places for spectators and the stores for businesses already completed.

The CAF officials were visibly happy with the progress o f work done though they insisted to make another inspection visit in order to ascertain the country’s readiness to host the tournament. The readiness of Cameroon is not only in the sports infrastructural aspect as disclosed by the president of Fecafoot in a meeting on Monday between the CAF inspectors and the local organizing committee.

The hotels are ready, vehicles also and a good telecommunications network with 3G mobile phone operators and the availability of the optical fiber to ease communication in addition to the numerous cyber cafes around town.