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LIBREVILLE. – Gabon insists it is ready to host the African Cup of Nations soccer finals despite concern about the state of preparations amid political instability just one month ahead of the opening ceremony.The AFCON is due to run from January 14 to February 5 next year but was thrown into doubt after violence broke out following President Ali Bongo’s controversial re-election in August. Call for Africa’s showcase football tournament to be moved to a different country were heard following rioting after the vote whose outcome is still contested.

Four cities will host the tournament and unrest was reported in at least two of them including Oyem, the northern city close to Cameroon, where delays in work on the football stadium are causing problems.

In September, Sports Minister Nicole Assele expressed her “concerns” when visiting the new stadium where the group made up of African champions Ivory Coast, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Togo will play.

Assele was left in doubt over the “finishing of the changing rooms, the lifts and the exterior of the stadium”, while Gabon daily newspaper L’Union, which covered her visit, reported that the stadium had yet to be connected to electricity and running potable water.

The newspaper published a photo on Monday showing the stadium’s patchy grass covering, with a caption saying: “Given the holes in certain parts, there’s still work to be done to make it a quality pitch.” – AFP.