Equatorial Guinea Hosts Africa Cup of Nations Tournament Draw

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Only months after Equatorial Guinea's seamless execution of the 17th African Union Summit, President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and Gabon's President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, co-hosted the Africa Cup of Nations tournament draw in the nation's capital of Malabo. At this event, the 16 countries that qualified for the Africa Cup learned who their opponents would be.  

Equatorial Guinea made its debut in the Africa Cup and was seeded with co-host Gabon in Pot 1 of the draw with four-time winner Ghana and Ivory Coast, the 1992 champions.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mangue, who has been supporting the tournament's efforts said, "Equatorial Guinea is ready to co-host next year's Africa Cup of Nations, the continent's biggest football tournament."

Equatorial Guinea's hosting of the Africa Cup comes on the heels of the nation's hosting successful African Union Summit. "The challenges associated with hosting the Africa Cup of Nations are quite different," said Minister of Youth and Sports Francisco Eyegue Obama Asue.

Soccer matches for the Africa Cup will based in the Equatorial Guinea cities of Malabo and Bata and the Gabonese cities of Libreville and Franceville.

Equatorial Guinea has built a modern conference city, Sipopo, outside its capital Malabo for the hosting of large-scale international events. Sipopo will also host the events associated with the African-South American Summit, bringing together ministers of foreign affairs from 65 countries this November and heads of state next year.

The Africa Cup of Nations is another chance for Equatorial Guinea to show the entire world what the country has accomplished and the progress it continues to make.

About Equatorial Guinea

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial) is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. In the late-1990s, American companies helped discover the country's oil and natural gas resources, which only within the last five years began contributing to the global energy supply. Equatorial Guinea is now working to serve as a pillar of stability and security in its region of West Central Africa. The country hosted the 2011 Summit of the African Union. For more information, visit http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com.

SOURCE Republic of Equatorial Guinea

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