Starrsportsgh.com gathers the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and government were notified a country, which sources suggest to be South Africa, is on standby to take over the hosting duties should a firm decision be taken on Ghana.
Preparations towards hosting the 11th edition of the biennial women’s competition have not been smooth as expected with works on the Accra Stadium and other facilities weeks behind schedule.
A visit by starrsportsgh.com to the national showed an increase in the number of workers on the facility. The Project Manager admitted they were doubling up their efforts and could only finish work a couple of weeks more after the originally scheduled ‘early September’ deadline to hand over the facility.
Also, it was only days before the Caf team arrived in the country for their second inspection last week that contractors began to work on the training fields earmarked for the Women’s Afcon.
The Cape Coast Stadium, the other facility billed to host Group B teams in the 2018 Women’s Afcon, needs little work to be ready for the competition.
Aside concerns over infrastructure, the LOC appears to have done little work on raising awareness on the tournament with just about four months left to kickoff.
But LOC Chairperson of the Local Organizing Committee for the Women’s Afcon remains confident Ghana can meet expectations and go ahead to host a successful tournament.
“Preparations are far advanced to announce Venue LOCs in Accra and Cape Coast. We are going to outdoor them together with our theme song and also launch our website. We are working on our billboards, mascot and pitches… Everything is on course.
“We launched the Women’s Afcon two months ago and I know people are waiting to see the venues and other places flooded with the tournament paraphernalia. We are working around that and even the opening and closing ceremonies,” she told starrsportsgh.com.
It is understood that Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah is set to hold a crunch meeting with the LOC over concerns raised regarding the release of funds from his outfit to speed up work.
The 2018 Women’s Afcon is scheduled for November 17 to December 1. Algeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali South Africa, Zambia and defending champions Nigeria have qualified to join Ghana should Caf go ahead to clear Ghana to host the tournament.
Report by Starrsportsgh.com
