Opening the 34th edition of the African Nations Championship in Ivory Coast

SMA NEWS – ABIDJAN
The 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations was opened in Ivory Coast, with a ceremony held at the “Alassane Ouattara” stadium in the city of Anyama, in the presence of more than 50,000.
The opening ceremony witnessed some artistic performances presented by artists from Egypt, Congo and Nigeria, as well as some traditional Ivorian dances, as well as the launch of fireworks.
The opening was attended by the President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, the Presidents of Ghana and Guinea-Bissau, Nana Akufo-Addo and Amaru Sissoko Embalo, and the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mango.
The opening was also attended by the Swiss President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and the President of the Confederation of African Football, the South African, Patrice Motsepe.
The Ivory Coast national team played its opening match against its Bissau Guinean counterpart, and won 2-0 on its way to win its third title after winning the African Championship in 1992 and 2015.
This is the second time that Ivory Coast has hosted the Africa Cup of Nations, as it hosted the 1984 edition, and no African team has won the tournament on its home soil since Egypt in 2006.