In Abidjan, on Friday, Patrice Motsepe, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), announced that approximately two billion people worldwide have been tuning in to watch the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) held in Côte d’Ivoire.
Motsepe shared this remarkable statistic during a press briefing preceding the AFCON final scheduled for Saturday.
He hailed this achievement as a source of pride for Africans, emphasizing that the continent should celebrate this milestone.
“We have had close to two billion people watching AFCON globally. We should be proud as Africans and the next one will be even better."
Motsepe underscored the significance of collaboration and unity within Africa for its success, highlighting the importance of countries trading and competing together, not only in football but also in various aspects of development.
“The success of Africa depends upon Africa working together, trading together, and in football, countries competing and playing together,” he said.
Meanwhile, anticipation is high for the showdown between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the host nation, Cote d’Ivoire, in the highly anticipated final set to take place on Sunday at the 60,000-capacity Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Ebimpé, on the outskirts of Abidjan.
The third-place match, slated for Saturday, will see South Africa facing off against DR Congo at the iconic Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan.