The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, expressed that around two billion people are tuning in to watch the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire. This revelation was made during a press conference held in Abidjan where Motsepe met with CAF Member Associations’ Presidents prior to the AFCON final on Sunday.
Motsepe emphasized that this viewership milestone is a significant achievement that Africans should take pride in. “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,” he stated at the press conference via CAF X handle.
He emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration in Africa to achieve success, stating, “The success of Africa depends upon Africa working together, trading together, and in football, countries competing and playing together.”
The AFCON 2023 will culminate on Sunday, 11th February, with the host country Côte d’Ivoire facing Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the final match. The Eagles secured their spot in the final after defeating South Africa 4-2 on penalties, while the Ivorians triumphed over the Democratic Republic of Congo with a 1-0 victory, thanks to a Sebastien Haller volley.
As the Super Eagles aim for their fourth AFCON title, Côte d’Ivoire will seek to secure their third in the history of the tournament. The final is anticipated to be an exciting and closely-contested match between two formidable teams.