The companies hired to develop Alexandria, Suez, Ismailia, and Salam stadiums, which will host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from 21 June to 19 July, have requested $60m (EGP 1.02bn) from the ministry of youth and sports for the development operations. The ministry will receive the four stadiums in addition to the Cairo International Stadium and 30 June Stadium following the innovation to prepare them for the final inspection by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to decide on their readiness to host the tournament.
A government source told Daily News Egypt that the required sums of money from the ministry are preliminary and that the final cost of the stadiums' development will be determined upon receipt. The source pointed out that the development of the stadiums was carried out simultaneously.
He pointed out that the ministry has allocated about EGP 100m to develop the training playgrounds dedicated for the African teams participating in the tournament. Several state institutions will handle the development of those playgrounds, such as the Suez Canal Authority and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria. According to the source, the training playgrounds were developed upon the request of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). The innovation works vary from changing chairs, developing light towers and dressing rooms, and raising efficiency of playgrounds.
According to a government report obtained by Daily News Egypt, the EFA specified 32 playgrounds for training, of which 17 are in Cairo: two sub-stadiums at Cairo Stadium, two playgrounds in the 30 June Stadium, El Sekka El Hadid stadiums, EL Shams, the Military Sports Body stadium, El Nasr, Aero Sport, Haras El Hodoud, Tulip El Zahraa, El Nosour complex, Enppi, Petrosport main and sub stadium, and the Arab Contractors Stadium.
Additionally, there are five playgrounds in Alexandria, which include Arab Academy for Maritime Transport stadium, Olympic Club stadium and Al Ittihad Alexandria Club stadium, the sub-stadium of Borg El Arab Stadium, and the Alexandria University playground. In addition to other playgrounds in Ismailia, which are the new and old playgrounds of Suez Canal, Mercure hotel, the Olympic village, and five playgrounds in Suez, which include Wadi Degla and Petrojet in in Ain Sukhna, the sub-stadium of Suez Stadium, and the Suez Sporting Club stadium.
The 2019 AFCON will include 24 teams for the first time since it was launched in 1957, divided into six groups, that will play on six stadiums in four governorates which are Cairo, Alexandra, Ismailia, and Suez.
