South Africa counts gains of CHAN 2014

Libya emerged as champions in the just concluded CHAN tournament.

While the South African team, Bafana Bafana, exited the African Nations Championships, CHAN, in the first round, the country said it is proud to have hosted a successful championship.

The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of the Local Organising Committee for the tournament, Mvuzo Mbebe, reeled out the impressive numbers from the CHAN tournament including the $3.2 million prize money, 73 goals scored (15 scored in the first 15 minutes and in the last minutes), and 227,258 people through the stadium gates . He also the successful outing of the 1, 117 volunteers and the 1, 138 security and disaster management personnel that were deployed characterised the achievements of the 3rd Orange African Nations Championship.

Mr. Mbebe said CHAN left a legacy through the engagement of community resources and infrastructure as 300 performers from the neighbouring townships (khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain) were employed.

For the Opening and Closing Ceremonies alone, he said CHAN created jobs for 185 technicians, stage hands, runners, costume designers, props producers, make-up artists and creative persons.

“We are quite satisfied with the performance of this tournament and even CAF and the CHAN Organising Committee has once again commended us for a job well done. However, this could not have been possible without you – members of the media – who kept us on our feet through ongoing critic, assessment of how were performing leading and during the tournament, either through interviews or your own commentary in print and electronic media platforms.

“We are also quite pleased to have been the country to present the platform for CHAN to leave a lasting legacy with FIFA granting it the A status as well as the tournament setting a new bench mark for highest stadium attendance,” Mr. Mbebe stated.

The just concluded Orange CHAN 2014 took place in Cape Town, Mangaung and Polokwane between January 11 and February 1, 2014.

Libya emerged champions while Ghana and Nigeria settled for the second and third place respectively.