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ISSUE 5/2015, 6 FEBRUARY 2015 ENGLISH EDITION Fédération Internationale de Football Association – Since 1904 CUBA FOOTBALL’S WIND OF CHANGE GUNTER NETZER REAL MADRID IS A GOOD CHOICE FOR ODEGAARD NORTHERN IRELAND ON THE RIGHT TRACK STARSYaya Toure, Africa Cup of Nations ON SHOW WWW.FIFA.COM/THEWEEKLY AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS In the jungle A view of Malabo, Equatorial Guinea’s capital. Guillaume Darribau Fractures / Laif / 6 THE FIFA WEEKLY AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS The long road to success Equatorial Guinea’s capital Malabo is undergoing drastic transformation, with entire districts springing up almost overnight. Amid all the change the city’s love of football remains undiminished. Elio Stamm (text) and Issouf Sanogo (images), Malabo THE FIFA WEEKLY 7 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS Small but atmospheric The stadium in Malabo can seat 15,000 people. Excited but peaceful Fans queue for three hours before kick-off. Gavin Barker / BackpagePix, Issouf Sanogo / AFP 8 THE FIFA WEEKLY AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS arely are cause and efect more Led by President Teodore Obiang since ready strolling through streets separated from closely connected than in Mala- 1979, the country has also invested heavily in the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo by a roundabout bo. The irst thing you notice on its sporting infrastructure. Its two most mod- with a three-dimensional football at its heart. the approach to landing in Equa- ern stadiums are located in Malabo, located on At irst glance, it is diicult to tell exactly who torial Guinea’s capital city is a Bioko Island near Cameroon, and Equatorial is supporting which team, as the national lags huge gas reinery. Its many chim- Guinea’s largest city Bata, situated on the na- of Mali, Cameroon and Guinea all contain neys reach towards the heavens, tion’s mainland. The construction of these are- green, yellow and red. Only the orange-clad each emiting a small lame of nas enabled the country to both host the Afri- supporters of the Elephants from Côte d’Ivoire exhaust gas that illuminates the ca Cup of Nations in 2012 with neighbours are visible from afar. night sky like a lare. Gabon and step up again three months ago With the Africa Cup of Nations in full R The three-lane toll motorway swing, the street traders are also ofering fan that connects the airport with merchandise. Although Leboux Tebadouet usu- the city centre winds its way between oice ally sells metal tubing, his most popular items blocks, hotels, banks and apartment complex- Taxi driver Abeso for sale are currently Mali and Cameroon es. Although these imposing ediices are strung shirts. “The Equatorial Guinea fans are all in out so as not to jostle for atention on the sky- has been forced to start Bata, where our team are playing their match- line, their facades still seem to compete to see es,” the trader explains almost apologetically. which one boasts most glass, surprising angles his car with a He neglects to mention the other reason for the and eye-catching colours. It is an architect’s roaring trade in foreign shirts: many migrant paradise where the end result maters more screwdriver since workers live in Malabo to assist with the huge than the cost involved in achieving it. The oi- amount of construction still underway, includ- cial name of this impressive new district is Ma- ing plenty from the four countries competing labo II – an area that has grown from nothing the ignition key broke. for points in the capital. in less than a decade. The pan-African nature of Malabo is also apparent among Tebadouet’s fellow traders. Oil find triggers expansion when Morocco withdrew as tournament hosts Mini lags are available for purchase at the If the apartment blocks were higher and the for fear of the Ebola virus. Further stadiums in wooden shack plastered in home-burned hills in the distance not covered with jungle, Ebebiyin and Mongomo that were not used DVDs run by Fabrice Armel Gondia, a comput- you would be forgiven for thinking you had three years ago were also whipped into shape er scientist from the Central African Repub- arrived in Dubai. Twenty years ago, Equato- in record time. All this means that taxi driver lic, while anyone wishing to top up the credit rial Guinea and its inhabitants – numbering Abeso is currently able to chaufeur football on their mobile phone is advised to visit the fewer than one million – were not only one of fans from across Africa using Malabo’s new stall of a young man from Chad. the smallest nations in Africa but also one of transportation network. These migrant workers also help to ensure its poorest. But that was before the discovery that the stadium is almost full for each match. of gas and oil so pure it scarcely required pro- Merchandise – and fans – from While ticket prices are afordable for anyone cessing. Between 1995 and 2003, the coun- across Africa living in Equatorial Guinea, lights across Af- try’s annual gross domestic product rose Saturday means matchday in Malabo, with rica are far more expensive. What’s more, from $371 to $24,036. Côte d’Ivoire scheduled to take on Mali before many visitors have to visit an embassy to ob- Although this is a fantastic igure for Afri- Cameroon face West African hopefuls Guinea. tain the visa necessary to make the trip. ca, it is merely an average; wealth is by no Although the games do not kick of until the Nevertheless, there are plenty of visiting means evenly distributed here. The country evening, by lunchtime dozens of fans are al- supporters in evidence. In the lobbies of the ranks fairly low on the UN’s Human Develop- city’s main hotel chains, the usual ranks of ment Index, which takes into account a na- busy businessmen in black suits have been tion’s life expectancy, although reasonable swelled by other middle-aged men in colourful progress means that 94 per cent of the popula- football shirts, embroiled in lively discussions tion can read and write. Taxi driver Benjamin about ofside decisions. Abeso Mongo wears RayBan sunglasses and a smart beige sweatshirt, but his Toyota is at Feverish anticipation before kick-off odds with the rapid pace of development evi- The irst fans stream through the turnstiles a dent across the city. Abeso has been forced to Equatorial Guinea full three hours before kick-of. The stadium in start his car with a screwdriver since the igni- Capital: Malabo Malabo forms part of a huge sports complex tion key broke. What’s more, the rear axle Official language: Spanish with a multi-purpose sports hall, swimming squeaks and any passengers wishing to exit the FIFA ranking: 118th arena and association hotel where oicials and vehicle have to open the doors from the outside African ranking: 36th international journalists are staying during the by reaching out through the window. Neverthe- Neighbouring ocean: Atlantic tournament. Although the arena only has less, Abeso is far from unhappy with his lot. Footballers: 2,290 (registered), 25,590 (total). 15,000 seats, the impressive roof construction “Life is beter nowadays,” the 28-year-old says, FIFA support: $250,000 annually for makes it look much larger from the outside. explaining that his father was also a taxi driv- development. $400,000 for technical centre in Anyone who has atended a football tour- er but never had such a wealthy customer base Malabo in 2010 (Goal project). nament in sub-Saharan Africa can atest to the to drive around. creativity and enthusiasm of the region’s fans, THE FIFA WEEKLY 9 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS A small corner of Cameroon Supporters dance before their group match against Guinea. Ebola screening A Malian fan has his temperature checked at the stadium. Sunday Alamba / AP / Keystone (2) 10 THE FIFA WEEKLY AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS with their brightly painted torsos, masks, hats, traveller arriving in Equatorial Guinea’s capital their temperature has been taken, each specta- inlatable giant hands from the oicial spon- city has already had their temperature taken tor must hold out their hands for a squeeze of sors and plastic vuvuzelas making them a sight upon arrival at the airport, and now all stadi- hand sanitiser before making their way to their to behold. One young man has glued his com- um visitors are undergoing the same process. seats. pact camera to a cardboard structure to make The fan Bruel stopped is wearing the yellow The next ive hours pass in a blur of singing, it look like a television camera, with a lens shirt of Mali. With a wave, she calls the tall, dancing, trepidation and celebration. As the fashioned from a plastic botle. slim man over and, while wearing protective fans have bought tickets for both matches, the Singing and dancing, the hordes of fans gloves, carefully touches the fan’s chin with her stadium resembles a colourful cauldron. The march across the sprawling sports complex to let hand while holding a thermometer against atmosphere is a friendly one, but although various turnstiles manned by black-clad po- his temple. The young man closes his eyes everyone goes home satisied, nobody is euphor- lice oicers in full protective gear. One ater tightly and furrows his eyebrows. “Although it ic. Both games end 1-1, by far the most common another, the spectators push their way looks like a gun, it doesn’t hurt,” Bruel laughs scoreline of this Africa Cup of Nations so far. through the gates, their eyes ixed on the steps before leting the Malian go.

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