In the wake of discussions about holding the next African Games in Egypt, which will take place in 2027, we recall the last major international event hosted at the stadiums of Cairo and Alexandria. We are talking about the African Cup of Nations, which took place in the summer of 2019. In this article, we will look at what infrastructure then held the pressure of fans from all over Africa and what state it is in today.
Remembering 2019: How the 32nd Afcon Was Held
AFCON in hot July 2019 turned out to be memorable. Twenty-four teams from all over the continent came together in the confrontation. The previous cup draw took place in Gabon in 2017 – and the Egyptian team managed to take second place. However, this time, the Egyptian team was eliminated in the 1/8 finals, losing to South Africa.
Two teams made it to the final – Senegal and Algeria, the match between which ended 0:1. Third place went to Nigeria, as well as the title of top scorer, which Odion Ighalo took. During the games, he managed to score as many as five goals! By the way, did you know that modern sports betting allows betting not only on the winners of the match but also on such details? Thanks to the online service Melbet Egypt, you can place an online bet on a particular player or on various events in the match – right down to the number of yellow cards. The site features all the top world football championships – and, of course, AFCON 2025 will be there.
Background: How Egypt Saved the Day
Cameroon was originally planned to host AFCON 2019. However, a conflict occurred: the Confederation of African Football suspended the country from hosting the games. The reasons were unfinished stadiums and infrastructure, as well as security issues.
The Egyptian government came to the rescue, offering Egypt as a venue for the tournament. There was experience – after all, this was already the 5th edition of the Cup on Egyptian soil. The last time the stadiums of Cairo and Alexandria hosted AFCON was in 2006.
But the deadlines were tight – there were only 5 months to prepare everything necessary. It was a difficult task – but Egypt successfully coped, proving that it is capable of hosting major sporting events even in the most difficult conditions.
6 Arenas, 4 Cities: Where the Tournament Matches Were Held
At the time Egypt was appointed as the host, EFA President Hany Abu Rida said: “We organized the tournament in 2006, and this challenges us to become better and better. We are ready for this honor.”
And we can say with confidence that everything worked out. Even despite the revolutionary challenges, it was in 2019 that it was necessary to increase the number of teams from 16 to 24 for the first time, which forced the addition of 2 additional groups (E, F) of 4 teams – and a playoff stage for them. In total, the tournament was held in 4 cities: Cairo, Alexandria, Ismailia and Suez. The matches were hosted by six arenas:
- Cairo International Stadium
- 30 June Stadium (Каир)
- Al Salam Stadium (Каир)
- Alexandria Stadium
- Ismailia Stadium
- Suez Stadium
That same year, Cairo International Stadium had to work again – in November, it hosted the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations 2019. Comparing the coverage of the two tournaments, junior sports are greatly underestimated. And in vain: according to MelBet bookmaker statistics, the odds for non-top matches are much more profitable for players. On the bookmaker’s web portal, you can bet on matches of any level – from international tournaments to local meetings.
Port Said Updates: New Stadium Awaited
Initially, there were supposed to be five cities: some of the matches were to be held at the Al-Masry stadium in Port Said. However, 4 months before the matches, it turned out that the stands were in a state of disrepair, so Al-Masry was replaced by the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo. The dilapidated stand was demolished, but then it was decided to rebuild the entire stadium: in 2022, it was demolished, and a new sports complex will be built in its place.
Not Just Grass, Not Just Stands: Additional Egyptian Afcon Infrastructure
Hosting such a major event as AFKON does not end with just the stadiums. At the very least, you need to get to them. The year of the tournament coincided with the start of a large-scale government program to modernize the transport infrastructure. About 35% of the funds were spent on intercity railways and 20% on new stations of the Cairo metro. All this will improve accessibility for fans of the following sporting events.
But digital support is also important – after all, not everyone will be able to come to the match in person. At AFKON, Egypt launched the sports TV channel TimeSport for the first time, allowing you to watch football for free throughout Africa. Bookmaker Melbet Egypt also provides its users with access to free high-quality broadcasts – not only football matches but also dozens of other sports.
Passing the Baton: How Cameroon Coped With Afcon 2021
The two years they won allowed the Cameroonian government to make up for lost time: they were able to host AFCON 2021 successfully. The country managed to show off its new sports infrastructure: the tournament’s opening match and the final were held at the new Olembe stadium (Yaoundé) with 60,000 seats.
The construction of the stadium began only in 2018. And even despite a two-year postponement, the infrastructure was completed only in time for the championship itself, with the planned deadlines being missed. The Confederation of African Football expressed concerns throughout the construction process regarding the pace of completion. The construction of the second part of the Olembe stadium with venues for other sports was planned after the championship final. This complex is designed to host matches:
- Handball
- Volleyball
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Water sports (Olympic pool)
A real kaleidoscope! But for a huge coverage of sporting events, you don’t have to go to Cameroon – just download the Melbet application to your smartphone. The modern bookmaker application will allow you to bet on all these sports – and dozens of others. Bets on horse racing, F1, squash, and boxing with the best odds are already waiting for you in the application!
What Do We Do Next? The Global Problem of Unclaimed Stadiums
Some examples show that in recent decades, the world’s passion for spectacular sports events has gone beyond its limits. Thus, the scale of the built infrastructure sometimes does not meet the needs, and the flow of constant events after the end of the main event for which the infrastructure was built is insufficient to maintain functioning. For example, this fate befell many Olympic villages (Athens from the 2004 Olympics and Beijing 2008), as well as sports complexes for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Today, the amount of sports infrastructure in Egypt continues to grow: for example, the Misr stadium is being built – with a claim to host the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. In addition, it is already known that Egypt will host the next African Games in 2027 (you can definitely bet on them on the MelBet website). However, it is not a fact that new stadiums will not sooner or later face the problem of “emptiness” – that is why it is so important to think through multifunctionality in advance.
Looking Ahead to the Future of Egypt’s Sports Infrastructure: An Optimistic Outlook
So far, the football economy is encouraging: according to expert analysis, by 2027, the global football market will reach more than $3 billion, growing by about 20% annually. In addition, interest is growing in many other sports that can host modern football stadiums. After AFCON 2019, Egypt took new steps forward in developing football infrastructure. However, we should not forget about the challenges of expensive stadium maintenance and plan in advance for future uses to avoid decline.
