Sports facilities and infrastructure expert, Ebi Egbe has urged the federal government to quickly step forward and declare Nigeria’s readiness to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Although South Africa were at the weekend touted as the country most likely to take over the hosting right, which was taken from Cameroon on Saturday, sports247.ng learnt that Egbi believes Nigeria is capable of doing so at short notice.
Egbe, who is renowned for staging a successful construction of Enyimba International Stadium in Aba, cited several top-notch faclities across the country, which he believes would make Nigeria easily capable of receiving the continent in an expanded AFCON format next summer.
The sports faculties’ expert stated further that Nigeria has more than enough facilities and advised the federal government to bid for the 2019 competition in order to solidify the country’s claim as Giant of Africa.
He also said Nigeria can use AFCON 2019 to address the problem of poor pitches, which Super Eagles’ coach, Gernot Rohr often complains about.
The chief executive officer of a pitch laying company, MoniMichelle Sports Construction, added that his outfit, which did turfs in Katsina, Makurdi, Aba and Yenagoa stadiums can get the surfaces ready in two months if the federal government shows interest in hosting the AFCON.
Egbe noted that given the number of stadia available in the country, it could in three months be ready to host the continent.
He said: “We have so many good stadiums in the country. All that they lack is good playing turfs, which can be fixed in less than three months.
“Stadiums in Abuja, Uyo, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Katsina, Lagos, Makurdi, Aba, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, and Bauchi can host any major international competition.
“All that the government need do is to re-grass the pitches. There are good hotel facilities in all of these cities and they all have airports and these are the things CAF would be looking out for.”
