CHAN 2014: Jan 11th-Feb 1st 2014
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is impressed with the South African Stadia that will be used for the 2014 Championships of African Nations (CHAN), football tournament for only the home based players, who play in the respective domestic leagues.
Sixteen nations will compete for honors in the third CHAN (Championnat Afrique de Nations) to be held in Cape Town, Polokwane and Bloemfontein from 11 January to 1 February 2014.
A delegation from CAF led by CAF first Vice President, Almany Kabele Camara visited recommended training sites, hotels and inspected broadcast facilities before engaging in a briefing session with officials of SAFA [SA Football Association] Cape Town, the City of Cape Town and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS).
“The stadiums have outstanding facilities and the hotels are impressive. We look forward to see this tournament being staged in Cape Town again,” said Camara, as quoted by Caf online.
Meanwhile, the draws for the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) will take place on Monday, September 16 in Cairo, Egypt, organizers have announced.
The draw will see 16 teams divided into four groups of four teams each for the tournament billed for South Africa next year from January 11 to February 1.
So far, 12 countries including hosts South Africa, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria and Uganda have been confirmed. Uganda eliminated neighbours, Tanzania 4-1 on aggregate and together with Burundi , are the only East African nations in the Championships who qualified for the 2014 Championships.
The identities of the other four finalists will be known after final round of qualifiers at the end of August and early September after which, the seedings for the draw will be revealed.
The first edition was held in 2009 in Cote d’Ivoire and the second in Sudan two years on. Uganda had a dismissal championship in Sudan where she lost all her 3 group games.
About the Host Towns and Stadia:
The Cape Town Stadium(Cape Town):
(Afrikaans: Kaapstad-stadion; Xhosa: Inkundla yezemidlalo yaseKapain Cape Town, South Africa is a newly built stadium that was used for the 2010 FIFA World CupDuring the planning stage, it was known as the Green Point Stadium, which was the name of the previous stadium on the site, and this name was also used frequently during World Cup media coverage.
The stadium is located in Green Point, between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean, close to the Cape Town city centre and to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, a popular tourist and shopping venue. The stadium has a gross capacity of 64,100.The stadium is connected to the waterfront by a new road connection, Granger Bay Boulevard, and is surrounded by a 60 hectare urban park. The stadium was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts.
The Free State Stadium:
(Afrikaans: Vrystaatstadion), also known as Vodacom Park, is a stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, used mainly for rugby union and association football. It was originally built for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and was one of the venues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The Peter Mokaba Stadium (Polokwane):
This is a football and rugby union stadium in Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg), South Africa, that was used for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a capacity of 41,733 and was named after Peter Mokaba, a former leader of the ANC Youth League. It is located 5 kilometers from the city center and is located just east of the existing Pietersburg Stadium.
The stadium is one of five new stadiums that were built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Initial plans to upgrade the existing Pietersburg Stadium were abandoned in favour of the R1,245,000,000 (ZAR) new Peter Mokaba stadium.
The stadium was used intensely for training and matches. Therefore the natural grass has been reinforced with artificial fibers, which anchors the field into a stable and a level grass surface: Desso GrassMaster.
