By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe arrived in Cameroon on Monday and said he wanted to make next month’s troubled Africa Cup of Nations in the country “a success”.
Motsepe’s visit comes against a backdrop of persistent rumours that the January 9-February 6 continental showpiece could be called off or delayed again.
The tournament has already suffered a year-long delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before talks with Cameroon president Paul Biya and an inspection of Yaounde’s Olembe stadium, Motsepe said: “We are very sure of our commitment to make (the tournament) a success in Cameroon.”
“I will be in Cameroon on 7 January with my wife and kids to witness this incredible competition,” Motsepe insisted.
“You can see that there’s a huge commitment and a focus to make sure that there’s good progress.
“We are going to host with the people of Cameroon an exceptional tournament. It will be the most successful Afcon. We are ready to show the world the best of African football and African hospitality.
“This tournament is important for the people of Africa and I’m so proud and so excited with the work done.”
His visit comes a week after Europe’s top clubs threatened to refuse to release their African players for the event due to concerns over the Covid-19 health protocol.
Many of Africa’s leading players are based at clubs in Europe, including Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City and Achraf Hakimi and Idrissa Gana Gueye of Paris Saint-Germain.
The European Club Association made its concerns known to FIFA in a letter seen by Agence France Presse.
The ECA also raised concerns about the danger of players being unavailable for even longer periods due to the potential for travel restrictions or mandatory quarantine being introduced, in particular due to the emerging threat posed by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Supporters attending matches at next month’s tournament will be required to show proof of vaccination and present a negative Covid-19 test result.
Cameroon had been slated to host the 2019 Nations Cup, but the country was stripped of hosting rights in November 2018 with Caf citing delays in the country’s preparation for the tournament.