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Zimbabwe Anti Terror Special Forces of Para Regiment and ZRP patrol Equatorial Guinea’s border with Gabon in Equatorial Guinea last week. — (Picture by John Manzongo)

Makomborero Mutimukulu in MALABO, Equatorial Guinea
EQUATORIAL GUINEA has accused sections of the Spanish media of trying to tarnish its hitherto successful staging of the 30th edition of the African Cup of Nations through spewing fictitious reports.In a strongly-worded statement, in reaction to a concocted report that a bomb exploded during the Group D tie between Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea (Conakry) at Estadio de Malabo on Tuesday evening, the government maintained that the tournament has progressed without hitches.

Spanish Television station, RTVE, ran the “story” for hours soon after the match, a move which President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo’s office yesterday described as sinister.

“We categorically denounce the news, which as it appears, has come up again as confusion of the editing group of RTVE between the names of two countries: Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Conakry,” reads the statement.

“This kind of news spread by the Spanish television reveals the intention by communication media of that country to discredit the merits and privileges being reaped by the people and Government of Equatorial Guinea for having accepted this great African sporting event instead of congratulating us like what other countries and communication media have done.

“The progress of Afcon 2015 is absolutely being realised with normality in four stadia which have been put up for that in Malabo, Bata, Ebebyin and Mongomo.

“This is being realised despite the fact that preparations have been done in little less than 70 days time to host an African championship which (because) of the refusal by Morocco to organise and prepare would have remained without being celebrated, or would have gone out of Africa which would have been a sad and lamentable event for the whole continent and for all Africans.”

Equatorial Guinea is a former Spanish colony and there is no love lost between the two countries.

Commanders of the Zimbabwe Commando Anti-Terrorism Unit, that was requested to secure the tourney by President Nguema and had a heavy presence at Estadio de Malabo, have also expressed surprise at the reports.

The highly qualified and well equipped team, which took up positions at the stadium a good six hours before the first match of a double bill kicked off and left two hours after everyone had departed, reported Tuesday night as calm and incident free.

The cost of the Zimbabwean troops’ mission here is being funded by the Equatorial Guinea government.

The Confederation of African Football, which awarded President Nguema a Platinum Prize Merit, says the tournament “has gone on well and commends Equatorial Guinea for a well organised tournament.”

Afcon ignited last Saturday and will run until February 8 with President Mbasogo’s office reiterating that the country’s citizens are fully behind the staging of the competition.