President: Gabon will be ready for Nations Cup
Reuters - Monday 21 March 2011, 19:01
LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - Gabon will be ready to host the
African Nations Cup finals next year despite concerns that
preparations are falling behind, President Ali Bongo Ondimba
said on Monday.
Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are due to stage the 16-team
tournament from January 21 to February 12.
Bongo said that in some areas preparations were moving
forward at a fast pace but "in others were being very slow" and
he could understand why people in Gabon were worried that things
would not be ready.
"We will be ready on time," he told Reuters in an interview
during a visit to London.
"When I go back next week I will be touring all the
different facilities. I will put pressure on everybody to make
sure we are ready on time.
"This is an important event. The Gabonese people want it and
I have no choice but to make sure that the African Cup of
Nations will be played in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea," Bongo
said.