One year from tomorrow, sixteen countries would descend on the Republic of Ghana to participate in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. The event is also expected to bring about two million visitors into the country. As a host nation, Ghana is to provide the infrastructure - stadiums, hotels, communication, transportation and many other services not only for the players and officials but also for the visitors expected and indeed indigenes who would be patronising the matches. But would the facilities and services be ready by then and would their quality be assured? The contractors are expected to hand over the infrastructure to the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) in October this year but apart from the El-Wark Military Stadium in Accra, which is near completion, the training fields, which the various teams would train on, are yet to see any major construction works. At Kumasi, the Paa Joe Park, the Opoku Ware Park and the Prempeh College Park are yet to be awarded to contractors. The Gyandu Park and the Railway Park, which would be used by teams that would be based in Sekondi are virtually covered by weeds. The Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi and the Sekondi Gyandu Park are yet to be grassed. As compared to Egypt 2006 and Germany 2006, when the host nations exhibited the fever of the competition a year before the tournament, Ghanaians are yet to show that kind of urgency. But the Operations Director of the LOC, Mr. Rex Danquah in an unhurried and confident tone told ADM that Ghana would provide the best competition ever witnessed on the continent. “People are saying we are far behind, but let me tell you, we would complete on time and give the nation the best tournament”, he said. Mr. Danquah said the training parks would be awarded to contractors next month. He said the LOC had met with all the Metropolitan, District Assemblies to ensure that they market the event in their various areas of control. “Even Saturday”, he told ADM “we are launching the countdown to CAN 2008 at all the stadiums”. He debunked the notion that the late re-grassing of the fields would affect quality. During the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations where Ghana co-hosted with Nigeria, the Baba Yara Sports Stadium had its turf re-grassed, but because it was done in a hurry, the turf did not last long after the competition as it lost its quality. Mr. Danquah said the LOC is on track and that the contractors would hand all the infrastructure to them by the end of October. One major and significant development is that the Tamale Sports Stadium is near completion. That is some cause for consolation…but Ghanaians would have to keep all their fingers crossed. Accra Mail