Everything you need to know about TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nation
Presented by Ed Emeanua
The 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) championship is scheduled in six stadiums spread across Cote d’Ivoire from January 13 until February 11, 2024.
The tournament, known for short as the 2023 AFCON or CAN 2023 and for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, is billed as the 34th edition of the biennial African Association football contest staged by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Some of the stadiums are newly built solely for hosting the competition, while some are outstanding showpieces from years ago.
It is noteworthy to present the venues for Africa’s biannual footballing event, where the football universe is promised to be full of the continent’s best football talent for more or less an entire month.
Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe
CITY Abidjan
BUILT 2016 – 2020
CAPACITY 60 000
Located in one of the country’s economic hubs in Abidjan, the Olympic Stadium of Epimbe will host the tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies.
The 60,000-seater capacity arena headlines one of many infrastructure legacies of the tournament for the host nation and will bring several economic opportunities after the final whistle.
The erecting of the world-class venue began in 2016 with the breaking of ground for the multi-purpose venue.
It was then officially inaugurated on 3 October 2020 in a ceremony attended by senior Government Ministers and officials before an exhibition match between two of the nation’s biggest clubs, Asec Mimosas and Africa Sports Abidjan.
In addition to its large hosting capacity, the Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose venue that boasts several world-class amenities such as an athletics track, conference facilities, gyms, auditorium, and VIP.
CITY Abidjan
BUILT 1952
RENOVATION 2021 – 2023
CAPACITY 29 000
Named after the founder of Cote D’Ivoire and the nation’s first Head of State, President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, one of the country’s heritage venues will play host to Africa’s biggest event for the second time, having been one of the two host venues back in 1984.
In line with meeting the required CAF Standards, the stadium is undergoing complete renovations to its structural setup, seating, pitch, dressing rooms, and hospitality suites.
The seating capacity has doubled to 33,000 ahead of the tournament, along with other facility upgrades to the venue.
In addition to football, the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium boasts an athletics track and has hosted several principal sporting codes and events in Abidjan.
Stade De La Paix (Peace Stadium)
CITY Bouake
BUILT 1983
RENOVATIONS 2019 – 2023
CAPACITY 40 000
One of Cote D’Ivoire’s most iconic football stadiums, the Peace Stadium, located in the nation’s second-largest city of Bouake, will be hosting its second TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations after being one of the host venues back in 1984.
One of the venue’s most memorable events includes Cameroon’s dramatic semi-final 5-4 penalty win against Algeria in the 1984 TotalEnergies AFCON, where the Indomitable Lions claimed the title.
The stadium has since received a significant facelift from its original 15,000 to the now 40,000 capacity seating, among other upgrades, ahead of the tournament.
Additional upgrades include a fully-equipped Media Centre, Auditorium, Conference Facilities, and an upgraded spectator parking facility to accommodate the thousands of expected fans.
The Stadium of Korhogo
CITY Korhogo
BUILT 2019 – 2023
CAPACITY 20 000
Located in the northern part of Cote D’Ivoire’s city of Korhogo, the Stadium of Korhogo is one of the legacies that will come with hosting an international event of the magnitude of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Cote D’Ivoire 2023.
The newly built stadium will cover a vast 20.17 hectares of land to add to the esthetic beauty of the city.
The hosting capacity will be 20,000, with a quality natural grass field, an athletics track, a media center, a broadcast compound, and other stadium facilities required for hosting international events such as the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations.
Laurent Pokou Stadium – San Pedro
CITY San Pedro
BUILT 2019 – 2023
CAPACITY 20 000
An architectural beauty located in the rich culture region of Poro, the San Pedro Stadium also forms part of the infrastructure legacy of hosting the TotalEnergies AFCON Cote D’Ivoire 2023.
With construction starting in 2018, the 20,000-seater is poised to be a jewel for the Poro region.
Covering 23.33 hectares of land, the stadium’s elegant design will complement its world-class facilities, including a state-of-the-art natural grass pitch, conference centers, media center, and other facilities that drive economic activity after the final whistle.
Charles Konan Banny Stadium
CITY Yamoussoukro
BUILT 2019 – 2021
CAPACITY 20 000
Located in the nation’s capital of Yamoussoukro, constantly abuzz with economic activity, the newly built Yamoussoukro Stadium forms part of the city’s monumental architecture. It will add to the city’s economic hub of activity post the tournament.
After a two-year construction, the stadium hosted its first football match on 3 June, which served as a qualifier to the TotalEnergies AFCON Cote D’Ivoire 2023 finals as the hosts edged Zambia 3-1 at the grand opening.
The Yamoussoukro Stadium has a seating capacity 20,000, an athletics track, media facilities, hospitality suites, and conference centers.
