Tinubu will watch AFCON final in Ivory Coast, says CAF president

Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), says President Bola Tinubu will be watching the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

CAF president spoke at a press conference on Friday.

Nigeria will be playing in the country’s first AFCON final since 2013. The Super Eagles qualified for the ultimate round of the competition after beating South Africa on penalties in the semi-final.

The team will face Ivory Coast at the Olympic stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan, on Sunday by 6 pm.

Motsepe said he has been informed that Tinubu will be at the stadium for the match as Nigeria aim to win a fourth AFCON title.

“I was told the president of Nigeria is coming [for the final]. I was sitting close to the vice president when they were playing South Africa,” the CAF president said.

Vice-president Kashim Shettima was present at the stadium for the Eagles semi-final game in Bouake.

Tinubu has been following the Eagles’ progress at AFCON. He spoke to the players ahead of their quarter-final match against Angola.

OVER TWO BILLION PEOPLE WATCHING AFCON, SAYS CAF PRESIDENT

Motsepe added that the AFCON in Ivory Coast has garnered over two billion viewers across the globe since its commencement on January 13.

He said Africans should be proud of the competition while promising that the next edition “will be even better”.

“We have had close to two billion people watching AFCON globally. We should be proud as Africans, and the next one will be even better,” Motsepe said.

“The success of Africa depends upon Africa working together, trading together, and in football, countries competing and playing together.”