CHAN Organising Committee preparing for ‘big show’ on Saturday

by Graeme Jackson

Tuesday Jan 09, 2018. 12:00

The Organising Committee for the 2018 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) is gearing up to put on an impressive spectacle in the opening ceremony.

The tournament is set to get underway at Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca on Saturday, 13 January, when the host nation faces Mauritania in the opening match of Group A.

The OC has pledged to put on an eye-catching opening ceremony ahead of the match, in an effort to erase the memories of the poor spectacle which was staged by the North African country when they opened their hosting of the 2013 Club World Cup, as reported by Al Akhbar.

The daily media outlet adds that the ceremony will be under 30 minutes in length and incorporate sound and light shows, as well as dancing troupes.

The lighting at the Casablanca and Tangiers venues has been upgraded, with CAF requesting that the Moroccan federation test the new facilities, hence the friendly match between the Atlas Lions and Cameroon this past weekend.

CAF will also be keeping a careful eye on the Moroccan domestic match between Kawbak and Wydad Casablanca at the Marrakech Stadium later today, which will have rehearsals for the security measures and transport services which are set to be used during the CHAN tournament.

In addition, advertising in the stadiums will be provided by LED panels to bring Morocco up to the latest international standards.