Empty Afcon stadiums: Africa can do better

To me, it is mostly an economic variation. It starts with the purchasing power of the fans, then their level of passion and the stakes involved. Make no mistake that Afcon is hugely followed across the continent and fans often gather around televisions and in bars to watch the drama unfold. But apart from the games involving the host nation, the tournament itself is mostly played in near-empty stadiums.

I know for a fact that some nations, especially those from West Africa, have a tendency to bankroll vociferous fans to travel for Afcon tournaments to boost the morale of their respective teams but, for ordinary fans, making it to an Afcon tournament at their own expense is not viable.

Perhaps its high time Caf picked a leaf from Fifa and have the tickets sold in advance through federations. Granted, this is not fraud-proof as Fufa leaders previously took advantage to resell the tickets and enrich themselves, but it is more fluid and time-saving. Nonetheless, Afcon’s low stadium attendances is beyond ticketing, but poor organisation, especially when it comes to handling fans. How can it be that you can traverse the whole of Europe freely yet there are visa and flight connection restrictions to reach most African states? At the World Cup in Russia, for instance, there was an ID system that allowed every ticket holder to roam around the country without any troubles.

Unfortunately, at Afcon, it takes several archaic security steps for a fan to access the stadium. Matters are not helped by the continuous sight of gun-wielding security operatives at Afcon tournaments, which in itself is a put-off to many fans, especially those not used to being herded into order. Granted, much as security is more important than having fans in the stadiums, ordinary fans, especially those from Europe, cannot stand the hassle.

The Afcon passion can best be put to test on how fans celebrate their teams’ success. For instance, I remember very well that in 2019 when The Cranes won their first Afcon match in more than 40 years, there were hardly any notable celebrations in Kampala.

Much of the focus was on the European-based Africans and how they are faring at Afcon.  The key takeaways from all this are that Fufa and its counterparts should plan ahead to have a successful 2027 Afcon in Kampala. By now, the federation should already be having a roadmap to attract at least one million visiting fans into the country. That includes relaxing of visa restrictions, fronting Uganda Airlines Kenya airways and Tanzania Airways as continental carriers on top of showcasing the country’s best tourist attractions. We could even amplify the magical Rolex the same way the Russians promoted lamb steam neck and vodka in 2018.

Mr Immanuel Ben Misagga is a businessman.