President of Gabon, Ali Bongo on Friday unveiled the 2017 African Cup of Nations Mascot, a black panther named Samba.
The Black
Panther is a national symbol of Gabon, which demonstrates the Central African nation’s long term commitment to environmental protection. The Mascot is sporting the blue and yellow colours of Gabon. Its name, Samba, means hello and welcome in local Bantu language.
The unveiling ceremony which was held in Franceville, Gabon, was attended by newly-elected FIFA President Gianni Infantino, CAF President Issa Hayatou and Gabon’s football federation officials.
Addressing the crowd of witnesses at the event moments after the unveiling, President Bongo said he was thrilled to see the Black Panthers play in the packed stadium where Gabonese from all walks of life are gathered to share their common passion for the game.
“Football, like no other sport, creates a sense of unity, equality and inclusion,” Bongo said.
“All of these are at the heart of my vision for a changing Gabon. It is a pleasure to welcome the new President of FIFA, on his first trip to Africa, to see for himself the great welcome our country will give all participants and visitors to next year’s tournament.”
Gianni Infantino arrived on Friday in Franceville on the last leg of a three-day Africa trip that took him to South Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti.
The group I match between Sierra Leone’s Lone Stars and Gabon’s Panther is a friendly and points will not count for the upcoming AFCON 2017.
Gabon will be hosting the continental tournament for the second time, having previously co-organised the competition with Equatorial Guinea in 2012.
The Central African country is currently constructing two stadiums in Port-Gentil and the northern town of Oyem for January’s tournament, with the capacity of 20,000 and 20,500 respectively.
Gabon will use four venues for the 16-team tournament, which will take place from 14 January to February 5, 2017 – these will be in Libreville, Franceville, Port Gentil and Oyem.
No comments:
Post a Comment