The global launch of the 26th edition of the African Cup of Nations took place last Friday in Accra, Ghana, with the unveiling of the mascot of the tournament - an eagle juggling a football. The event, attended by Ghanaian President, John Kufuor and CAF boss, Issa Hayatou, was Ghana’s first step towards a successful hosting of the 2008 African Cup of Nations. The tournament will be played between January 20 and February 10 in four Ghanaian cities — Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Sekondi-Takoradi.
President Kufuor used the occasion to pledge his government`s support for the competition while Hayatou said he was confident Ghana will make a success of the tournament as they had done before. The former Gold Coast will be staging the continental football jamboree for the
fourth time. The West African country previously hosted the competition in 1963, 1978 and jointly with Nigeria in 2000.
During his stay in Ghana, the CAF boss also commissioned the secretariat for the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the competition in Osu, Accra. "The government is determined to ensure that we stage a very successful Nations Cup and that is why for the first time in our history, we are building four new stadia in this respect. We are serious in hosting one of the most splendid tournaments ever. We also wish to invite the private sector to come forward and support this noble cause so that we can meet our expectations," Ghana’s Sports Minister Owusu-Ankomah said.
Also present at the ceremonies in Accra were the cream of Ghanaian football - from Mohammed Polo to Marcel Desailly and Abedi Pele.
