[ 2015-01-29 ]

AFCON 2015: Security fears ahead of quarter-finals
The qualification of hosts Equatorial Guinea for
the quarter-finals has given organisers of the
African Nations Cup a headache that, in truth,
they should have foreseen.

Esteban Becker's side will take on Tunisia in the
Last 8 on Saturday with the match scheduled for
the 5,000-seater Estadio de Ebibeyin.

Given that the hosts have packed out the
35,000-seater venue in Bata for all their games so
far, and the wave of euphoria that sweeping the
nation following their progression to the knockout
rounds, the venue is not just inadequate but
potentially a massive safety hazard.

Security has not been up to scratch at the
tournament so far, with Equatorial Guinea's
opening game in Bata seeing fans breaking through
fences to get inside.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) are
quite obviously aware of the 'challenge', but for
now the venue remains the same.

"It's clearly a challenge and we will be
consulting all the stakeholders," CAF spokesman
Junior Binyam. "As things stand the schedule stays
the same but there is nothing in the regulations
that prevents a change.

"We are fortunate that we have both our executive
committee and organising committee here on the
ground and they will look at all the scenarios."
What may also swing the decision is the huge
downpour at the venue on Monday night in the Group
B clash between Zambia and Cape Verde that did
severe damage to the pitch.

With the first quarterfinal on Saturday between
Congo-Brazzaville and DR Congo, common sense would
suggest that both matches be played at the
country's largest venue as a double-header.

It is a situation that should have been foreseen
though, unless CAF had little faith in Equatorial
Guinea being able to make it out of the group
phase.

As hosts they were always going to be placed in
Group A and so why Ebibeyin was given one of the
two quarter-finals to come out of the pool shows
little foresight.

Source - AllAfrica

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