Full stadiums is top priority, says 2013 African Nations Cup boss

By David Gold

March 21 – Filling stadiums at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations is the top priority for the tournament, being held in South Africa, according to the man responsible for organising the competition.

Mvuzo Mbebe (pictured), appointed the head of the Organising Committee for the tournament last week, wants to avoid the situation that forced organisers to give out free tickets to games during this year’s African Nations Cup.

That tournament finished last month in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, but organisers were left concerned by the sight of empty seats and were forced to act on that by deciding on the giveaway.

“Our priority number one is full stadiums, full stadiums, full stadiums,” Mbebe told the BBC.

“As a principle, we must make sure our tickets are secure but affordable.

“That to us is going to be the main drive over the next nine months, so that the South African public and the African continent can understand how to get tickets and go to the stadiums.

“We think that is critical.

“We have quite a number of people from various African countries here so we are not just relying on South Africans to fill the stadium but those from the continent themselves.”

South Africa is hosting next year’s competition because the original hosts, Libya, were affected by the civil war which raged there last year and led to the overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Libya is now hosting the 2017 African Nations Cup, which South Africa was originally due to stage.

Africa is holding the tournament two years in a row because they want to avoid holding the competition in the same year as a World Cup, thus giving African players and teams a better chance of competing well at that tournament.

Mbebe told a news conference in Johannesburg that they were thinking of using seven venues; four for group games and a further three for knock out ties, and they will focus on using those stadia built for the 2010 World Cup.

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734840043labto1734840043ofdlr1734840043owedi1734840043sni@d1734840043log.d1734840043ivad1734840043