As Morocco prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations final this weekend, memories of the tournament's last host nation are tinged with controversy surrounding its flagship venue. Ivory Coast's triumphant 2024 AFCON win on home soil was nearly overshadowed by a major scandal involving the stadium built to stage the final.
A Costly Pitch Failure
The Alassane Ouattara Stadium, a 60,000-seat arena that opened in 2020 and is named after the country's President, came at a staggering cost of approximately £200 million. However, its glamour was short-lived. Just months before the tournament, in September 2023, a friendly match between Ivory Coast and Mali had to be abandoned at half-time. Heavy rainfall caused the pitch to become completely waterlogged, rendering it unplayable.
The problems extended beyond the grass. Reports indicated that the stadium's internal corridors and halls were also flooded following the downpour. This embarrassing incident, occurring so close to the nation hosting the continent's showpiece event, forced the country's Minister of Sport, Claude Paulin Danho, to issue a public apology.
Investigation and Further Investment
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) later investigated the issue, attributing the pitch's failure to a layer of algae which prevented rainwater from draining properly into the turf. In the aftermath, President Ouattara called for an additional £25 million to be invested to urgently resolve the problem.
Despite this significant extra funding being allocated, the playing surface remained far from perfect when the tournament, which had been rescheduled to early 2024, finally began. The Alassane Ouattara Stadium hosted Ivory Coast's opening 2-0 victory against Guinea-Bissau, but concerns persisted.
Criticism from Legends and a Fairy-tale Ending
By the fourth AFCON game held at the venue, the pitch's poor state was causing clear issues for players. During the group stage match between Ivory Coast and Nigeria, Arsenal legend and pundit Ian Wright took to social media to express his dismay, posting: "The state of this pitch in the Ivory Coast vs Nigeria game!!! Ridiculous."
Remarkably, the state of the grass became a secondary concern as the Ivorian squad scripted a dramatic tournament victory. They came from behind to beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final, with Sebastien Haller scoring a late winner to secure the nation's third AFCON title and first since 2015, sparking jubilant scenes in the controversial stadium.
This weekend, the focus shifts to Morocco's Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, where the hosts will battle Senegal in the final, hoping to avoid any similar infrastructural drama and win their first AFCON trophy since 1976.
