China has announced it will finance construction of a 60,000 capacity stadium in Ivory Coast in readiness for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. The Olympic stadium will be constructed in Abidjan.
The Stadium of Ebimpe project is expected to take two years and will kick off by January 2016. The stadium, according to an official, will be a “gift” to the country, from China.
The Stadium of Ebimpe, which would allow hosting of top-level football, rugby and athletics competitions, would involve construction of a sports city around the stadium.
Abidjan currently has one stadium, the Houphouet-Boigny stadium, which was built before independence in 1960 and with a maximum capacity of 35,000 people.
Apart from the new Stadium, China is also responsible for construction of the largest hydro-electric project in the country as well as the highway connecting Abidjan and the Ghana border.
China is also funding construction of a container terminal at Abidjan port.
