CAN 2008 fever now grips Tamale

Tamale, Jan. 19, (Caesar), GNA - The euphoria of the Ghana 2008 has finally caught up with the people of Tamale as many of them throng the training pitches, the Tamale Airport and hotels to catch the glimpse of players and other visitors arriving into the city.

There was near pandemonium at the training pitch closer to the newly constructed stadium when residents thronged the place in their numbers to watch the Angolan National team, when came there for their morning training.

The presence of motorcades and STC buses conveying teams and officials to their hotels and training pitches also painted beautiful picture worth watching, an indication that something is happening in the Tamale Metropolis.

At some points soccer enthusiasts waved Ghana flags at the Tunisia and Angola teams as they passed by shouting "Welcome, Welcome" with others expressing their sentiments in the local Dagbani language, "Maraba, Maraba" whilst the players and their officials peeped through the windows.

Unprecedented traffic jams on the major roads of the Metropolis has also occurred causing the displeasure of road users due to the 'Go Slow' pattern, particularly to those who are not used to traffic jams like other capital cities.

On the streets, taxis, private vehicles and even some soccer fans can be seen clad in Ghana flags, a situation that can indicate an anticipated full capacity of supporters at the stadium on match days. Some of the residents that the GNA Sports interacted with indicated that the euphoria in Tamale is not merely because of presence of the foreign teams but that it was a way of supporting the Black Stars in their Sunday opening encounter against Guinea and the rest of their matches.

Some of the fans said it was a rare opportunity to watch an African event and that even if they were not able to enter the stadium, they would be better placed to relate to the next generation as to how they welcomed visitors to the Metropolis for the tournament.

Meanwhile the local media in Tamale have expressed their frustrations on absence of media accreditation, which they said was denying them the opportunity to interview players and coaches. A South African journalist who arrived at the Tamale Airport on Saturday morning via Antrak Air told the GNA Sports about his frustration to get accreditation saying, "There was total chaos in Accra and I don't know how to get the accreditation here in Tamale." A source close to the Tamale Venue Organising Committee also told the GNA Sports at the Tamale Airport that even the volunteers who were supposed to usher the teams and other visitors into Tamale were denied the opportunity by the Tunisians because they had no accreditation. However as at the time the GNA filed the report, some LOC officials from Accra had arrived to start the accreditation process. 19 Jan. 08