Afcon 2015: Imported Mongomo turf to be usable within two weeks

The 2015 Afcon host stadium in Mongomo will have an imported turf ready for use 10 days before the start of the competition.

With kick-off set for January 17, serious concerns have been raised over the state of the playing and training surfaces of the Mongomo host city which currently looks in no state for international football.

Mongomo, a two-hour drive from Equatorial Guinea’s economic capital, Bata, will be hosting the Black Stars of Ghana, Senegal, Algeria and South Africa at the Afcon.

Caf’s director of communications, Junior Biyam, has revealed that they are importing a new regenerated surface from Spain upon consultations with a Fifa expert in management of lawns.

The African football governing body is confident the new pitch would be ready in time for Ghana to kick-off Group C’s opening match at 16h00 GMT on January 19.

“Training venues and competition fields will be of standard not later than January 7 – ten days before the kick-off of the [Afcon] competition,” Biyam said at a seminar for 50 media officers of national associations of Caf in Cameroon.

“Everything will be in place and lawns will be standards.”

Groundsmen are expected to rip up the existing turf in the coming days and have the new one usable within two weeks.

“We will need two weeks to make them [new lawns] usable,” Biyam specified.

Aside the pitch, seating and general infrastructure at the Mongomo Stadium have been passed to be in good condition for the championship.

Supersport.com has learnt that Mali’s Souleymane Magassouba [known, Magass] has been appointed General Coordinator for Group C and match venue, Mongomo. This will be the sixth consecutive Afcon for the experienced Magass in that capacity.

He is currently in Morocco with Ghanaian counterpart, Tony Baffoe, for the Fifa Club World Cup.