Africa Cup of Nations organisers confident no repeat of Cameroon tragedy

This photograph taken in Ebimpe northern Abidjan on December 5, 2023 shows a general view of the entrance of the Alassane Ouattara Olympic stadium, one of the six stadiums for the CAN 2024 during a visit to the CAN infrastructures by journalists from the international press. – After concerns about its level of preparation, Ivory Coast has stepped up the pace for the African Cup of Nations (CAN), which is set to start on January 13, 2024. Having become a leading international competition with 24 qualified teams, the CAN could attract up to 1.5 million visitors, according to the organizers. (Photo by Sia KAMBOU / AFP)

All is on track for African football’s biennial showpiece, the Africa Cup of Nations, according to organisers in the Ivory Coast, who are confident their security measures will prevent a repeat of the tragedy that overshadowed the 2022 edition in Cameroon.

Ivory Coast may be one of the heavyweights in African football but this will be only the second time they host the finals, after 1984, when the tournament featured just eight teams instead of the 24 this time round.

The competition runs from January 13 to February 11 with Senegal defending the title they won for the first time after beating Egypt on penalties.

It retains its 2023 moniker despite the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in July last year to postpone it from the original dates in the northern hemisphere summer owing to fears over staging matches during the rainy season.

Around $1.5 billion has been invested, which includes funding improved roads — principally a complete overhaul of the 350-kilometre coastal road that links Abidjan — the economic capital — to the port city of San Pedro, cutting in half the travel time between the