The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has just finished in Ivory Coast, with the host nation overcoming great odds to win the tournament. The tournament is held every two years in a different host nation, with it being the most prestigious international football competition in Africa.
Ivory Coast hosting the tournament is exciting, as historically, playing host to such an important event has had the potential to lead to significant economic development. Indeed, massive investments, equivalent to 760 million euros, were put into infrastructure projects in the months leading up to the competition. This included the construction of four new, ultra-modern stadiums in Ebimpé, San Pedro, Yamoussoukro, and Korhogo, and the renovation of two others in Abidjan and Bouaké. Improvement works have also taken place on the roads connecting the main cities in a bid to promote movement around the country.
Such investments are crucial given the country’s socio-economic position. After decades of political instability, Ivory Coast has been in a process of recovery and redevelopment following the end of the civil war in 2011. The government, led by President Alassane Ouattara, has been clear about its commitment to economic and social development as the key to maintaining peace in the country and has placed great emphasis on the successful hosting of AFCON as part of this.
Beyond a successful tournament, the hope of the government is that visitors will travel beyond the stadiums to explore elsewhere around the country, spreading the economic benefit of the competition and bolstering the tourism industry. The economic development strategy of the government relies heavily on the growth of the tourism sector, with the “Sublime Cote d’Ivoire” project, launched in 2019, seeking to make Ivory Coast one of the top five African destinations, both for holidaymakers and for business tourism.
The response from Ivorian citizens to the tournament has been overwhelmingly positive. In a video produced by France24, fans spoke of their pride in their country and their team, describing the tournament as “la plus belle CAN” (the most beautiful AFCON), with stadiums so impressive that they looked Parisian.
However, while the investments made in infrastructure for the tournament undoubtedly have positive potential, there is mounting concern about the extent of Chinese investment in developing African nations, and Ivory Coast is no exception. At least three of the stadiums built for AFCON were financed by Chinese companies, but the influence extends much further, with significant Chinese investment in infrastructure projects, including roads and hydroelectric dams, across the country.
The potential influence of such investment on broader political issues is already apparent. In a state visit to Ivory Coast last month, the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi thanked Ivorian President Ouattara for his support on the issue of Taiwan and congratulated him on the new stadiums, which he described as “symbols of mutually beneficial cooperation”. Currently, only twelve countries, not including Ivory Coast, have officially recognised Taiwan as a Chinese province.
Beyond the issue of Chinese involvement, concerns have been raised as to the sustainability of such significant development in such a short amount of time and what might happen once AFCON is over if the country runs out of steam. Such was the case in Cameroon after AFCON 2022, when money ran out, leaving stadiums standing empty and unused. Similar examples include the Olympic swimming pool in Rio de Janeiro and the Olympic villages in Sochi.
However, the comparison made by Ivorians with Paris highlights the significance of such investments in a country like Ivory Coast, which has struggled to recover from years of political instability. Despite these concerns, all relatively normal for a country hosting a sporting event of such scale, AFCON offers a remarkable opportunity for Ivory Coast to make huge developmental strides, both economically and socially.
“Max Gradel, Ivory Coast midfielder, on his knees praising God and giving thanks for the team’s win in the 2015 African Nations Cup final” by Ben Sutherland is licensed under CC BY 2.0.