The president of the African soccer ruling body Dr Patrice Motsepe is already expecting an exciting moment as the 2023 Championship of African Nations kickoff in Algeria.
Motsepe attended the inauguration of the Nelson Mandela Stadium located in Baraki which will host the opening game in front of a sold-out audience of 40,000 fans.
“I want to thank the Algerian authorities for honouring the memory of Nelson Mandela who had understood, long before some people, that sport united people.”
“We witnessed breathtaking performances from our representatives at this World Cup.
Tunisia beat France, Cameroon emerged victorious against Brazil, Ghana’s performed in a very difficult group, Senegal qualified for the knockout stages and what about Morocco – the first African nation to qualify for the semifinals of this great stage of world football? Africa was truly a source of pride.”
“Look at the number of champions that Algeria has given to football – Rabah Madjer, Riyad Mahrez and also Zizou (Zinédine Zidane) whose parents are Algerian.
As soon as you arrive in Algeria, you feel the love that the people have for this game. This guarantees us a great party.”
“It is a unique competition of its kind. African football needs CHAN, which is a real showcase for our local football.
Most of our players who shine today in Europe or elsewhere have a local base. For example, Sadio Mané was trained in Senegal”, he told CAF media.
