Khartoum, Sudan - Sudan’s Youth and Sports Minister, Hajj Majid Swar, said on Thursday that preparations have been completed for the kick-off of the 2011 African Nations Championship (CHAN),  which will see Sudan and Gabon clash before an anticipated capacity crowd, including President Omar Al Bashir. The Championship, which will allow players in the domestic leagues in Africa to show their talents, has received such a huge play-up in the Sudanese media and public life that the head of the state, Omar Bashir, and his deputy, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, have personally been involved in the event.

Taha has ordered that “every possible arrangement” be put in place to make the 15 visiting teams comfortable in Khartoum, the national capital, Medani, the second largest town in central Sudan, and Portsudan, the main sea port on the Red Sea.

The 65-year-old President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, told a press briefing a day before the kick-off that he was “satisfied" with the preparations that had been completed so far, following the much publicised visits to the stadiums in Khartoum and in Medani in the company of the Sudanese Youth and Sport Minister, Hajj Swar.

Sixteen teams, including host Sudan, will fight for the trophy from 4 February to the 25 February when the happy winner will be seen in front of the cameras in Khartoum, Sudan’s national capital.

The sixteen teams are Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, Cameroon, Gabon, DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.

CAF boss Hayatou was quoted as saying he was especially happy to see the  “return of Uganda “ and the qualification of Niger.

CAF boss commended the efforts of Sudan in hosting the tournament.

The Sudanese Football Association has brushed clean the stadiums in Khartoum, Medani and Portsudan, refurbished buildings and mopped chairs for the guests, and inaugurated a website, albeit in Arabic, to provide basic information about the tournament, teams, matches and players.

Although Sudan has seen very few players making it to the international arena and to the big leagues, it has huge fans for the likes of Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon and Dididier Drogba of Cote d'Ivoire whose photographs splashed in the public and rear screens of private transport buses.

And with more sports newspapers than political ones, it is amazing to see that none has missed the opportunity to put 2011CHAN as its its lead story, raising hope, perhaps unjustified, that the country might get its hand on the trophy, a chance to forget about the bad taste of politics.

Pana/04/02/2011

By Mohamed Osman, PANA correspondent