On Saturday, the ‘AFCON Village’ was inaugurated in Abuja by Ambassador Kalilou Traore, the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria.
This initiative was established to provide football fans with the opportunity to watch the ongoing African Nations Cup matches live.
The competition, which is being held in Côte d’Ivoire, has attracted 24 nations all vying for the most prestigious football award on the continent.
Ambassador Traore stated that the AFCON village, a collaboration with Continental Hotels, will broadcast the matches live until the tournament concludes on February 11.
The ambassador emphasized the significance of the event, which was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, as a demonstration of African unity and solidarity. He said, “I would like to salute the presence of the diplomatic corps and all our guests and the diaspora for your presence alongside us.”
He extended his best wishes to all the teams participating in the competition and expressed his hope that the African Cup of Nations would be a time of celebration, fair play, and brotherhood among African nations. He added, “I invite you to take full advantage of this evening and immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of AFCON 2023, the opening ceremony and the first match between Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau.”
He expressed his hope that the event would strengthen the bonds between the participating countries and leave a lasting positive impact on African football.
Ambassador Traore reassured the public that the tournament would meet expectations as the Ivorian government and its people had made extensive preparations to host “the most beautiful AFCON ever organised”.
He noted that significant investments had been made and that attendance records were already being broken. He said, “The Cote d’Ivoire Embassy in Nigeria could not remain on the side line of this great mass,” and confirmed that all the matches would be broadcast in the AFCON village in Abuja throughout the month, in partnership with Abuja Continental Hotel.
He expressed his gratitude to the hotel management and Nigerian authorities for their support in establishing the AFCON village.
Mr Javier Sanchez, the General Manager of Abuja Continental hotel, stated that the partnership with the embassy aimed to contribute to the success of the tournament. He said, “Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire as the hosting country of this event really pushed us to go ahead with this; we were planning to do it, but they gave us the push to put all these up.”
The event was attended by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the diplomatic community, and representatives from private organisations. (NAN)