Up for the Cup

Enthusiastic buildup to African Nations Cup in Mali

BAMAKO (Reuters) -- Thousands of enthusiastic supporters streamed towards the newly-built March 26th stadium in Mali's hot and dusty capital Saturday for the start of the 23rd African Nations Cup.

Host Mali, a young team of mostly European-based players, will be hoping to emulate its only two previous appearances in the finals when it was beaten finalist in 1972 and a losing semifinalist in 1994.

Mali, the biggest country in West Africa and one of the poorest nations on earth, kick off against fellow West Africans and underdogs Liberia at 1600 GMT.

Liberia, captained and coached by former World Footballer of the Year George Weah, is making only its second appearance in the finals, and only after a players' strike over money was finally resolved Wednesday.

Supporters clinging on to minibuses started heading for the stadium a good seven hours ahead of kickoff, bedecked in Mali's colours of red, yellow and green, blasting on whistles and pounding on drums.

The new 60,000-seat stadium, built specially for the tournament, was packed more than an hour before the start for a colourful opening ceremony of traditional dancing as fireworks blasted into the clear blue skies.

Baton-wielding police marshalled the crowds outside the stadium, ensuring players and supporters had a trouble-free passage to the ground.

There was much skepticism when Mali was awarded the finals in 1998 for the first time. Locals were unhappy the country was prepared to shell out over US$100 million when the country's 11 million population eke out a living on a per capita income of just US$250.

There were three inspections by the Confederation of African Football during the buildup to the tournament because of doubts about Mali's capacity to host the finals.

In the last few days before the opening game, construction workers toiled to prepare players' villages, but they had fallen so far behind schedule that teams opted for the relative comfort of downtown hotels.

In the capital Bamako, two vast concrete shells, supposed to be luxury hotels to welcome visitors during the finals, stood empty, looking out across the vast expanse of the Niger River.

 

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