The inspection team of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) which toured the four venues for the 2008 MTN African Nations Cup ended their Tamale visit very impressed. However, it was disappointed by the fact that they could not see the progress of work at the City Hotel in Kumasi, reports Vincent Adedze and George Ernest Asare. The team, led by the first Vice President of CAF, General Seye Memene, described progress of work at the various facilities at Tamale as "marvellous" and an indication that significant progress had been made in preparations for the hosting of CAN 2008 in Tamale. The CAF inspection team, accompanied by some officials of the-Local Organising Committee and the Tamale Venue Organising Committee (TVOC), inspected accommodation facilities and the new Tamale Sports Stadium to acquaint themselves with the progress of work. Among the places visited were the Uni¬versity for Development Studies (UDS) hostel facility which is being jointly executed by Ankomadu Construction Limited and Consar Limited. The facility is being funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) and has a total of 160 rooms, a conference centre, an internet cafe, a library and a gym. It also has two lifts. While the stadium, built by the Chinese company, Shanghai Construction Company, has been completed for months, the hostel facilities to be used and accommodation have also been completed and the contractors are only putting finishing touches to the job. Investigations by the Graphic Sports showed that access roads within the premises of the hostel had been completed. Painting of the building had also been completed. Obviously impressed with what he saw, General Memene said it was a relief that at least Tamale was ready for the competition which kicks off on January 20, 2008. The CAF Vice President also expressed gratitude to the sports authorities for the warm reception accorded them. In Kumasi, however, the contractors working on the City Hotel Project prevented officials of the inspection team from entering the premises to see the progress of work at the hotel when they stopped over in Kumasi for their inspection last Wednesday. The team, which included, Gen. Seye Memene, and Mr Slim Alolou, the Mayor of Kumasi, Madam Patricia Appiagyei, Magnus Rex Danquah, the Chief Operating Officer of the LOC, left the premises highly disappointed after making fruitless attempts to enter. Snippets gathered by the Graphic Sports indicated that the action of the City Hotel contractors stemmed from the fact that the regular inspections of the project by various officials were affecting the progress of work. Graphic Sports investigations, however, reveal that the project is far behind schedule as compared to other facilities which will be used to host the Ghana 2008 soccer fiesta. At the Baba Yara Sports Staduim in Kumasi, however, both the contractors and consultants readily welcomed the CAF officials and led them to the various facilities in the stadium which were already completed. They included the pitch, the VVIP and VlP lounge, the various dressing and massage rooms, as well as the press box and conference rooms which were well furnished. All the seats at the stadium had been fixed, indicating that the stadium is ready for the tournament The contractors are to hand over the project to the government by the end of this October, 2007. Source: Graphic Sports