The stadiums of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations

With the 2024 AFCON having started last Saturday, the world already could glance at some of the main stadiums in the competition, and see where the best teams on the continent will challenge each other in their quest for African glory.

The opening ceremony ahead of the tournament’s first game between hosts Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau was a veritable spectacle. The celebration of African diversity and culture was blended with traditional Ivorian dances, clothing, accessories and music, while flares, fireworks and artistic displays contributed to stunning visuals at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé. The stadium is the largest in Ivory Coast, being the obvious choice as the venue of the tournament’s final on February 11th. There are 5 other venues, however, and they all bring their own value to this year’s African Cup of Nations.

Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium

Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, located in the economic capital Abidjan, is a pillar of the country’s football heritage. Known to fans as Le Félicia, this used to be the Ivory Coast national team stadium, and is one of two to have hosted the 1984 edition of the AFCON, the Ivorians’ last major tournament. It has stood for almost 60 years, and before the construction of the Olympic Stadium, this was the single most important venue in the country. In fact, other than its former role as the country’s national stadium, Le Félicia is also home to the most successful Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas, while some of the biggest music concerts in African history have also taken place here. For example, Amnesty International’s Human Rights Now! Benefit Concert in 1988, which featured the likes of Sting and Bruce Springsteen. Today, Le Félicia can hold up to 33,000 spectators, and alongside Abidjan’s other stadium - the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé - it will host the semifinals of this year’s AFCON edition.

Stade de la Paix

The other venue used for the 1984 AFCON tournament, Stade de la Paix is currently the country’s second largest stadium in terms of capacity (40,000 seats). Like the other venues, it is decorated in white, orange, and green, to represent the national colors of the Ivory Coast, although the most interesting detail related to this stadium lies in its name. Translated from French, Stade de la Paix means “Stadium of Peace”, which comes from the “Flamme de la paix” (fire of peace) ceremony held at the stadium on July 30th, 2007. This day marked the symbolic end of the Ivorian crisis that had been going on since 2002, taking place right before a national team game where the entire country reconciled and united after years of bloodshed. Be it because of football or national unity, this stadium is an incredibly important place for Ivorians.

Charles Konan Banny Stadium

Charles Konan Banny Stadium is the premier venue in the nation’s other capital, Yamoussoukro. With relatively small capacity at 20,000 seats, this is the third newest stadium in this year’s AFCON, being inaugurated in 2022 in anticipation of the continental tournament. As soon as this year’s African champions are crowned, the Charles Konan Banny Stadium will begin its new life as the home of top-division football club SOA.

Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly

Another 20,000 seater of this tournament is the Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly in the city of Korhogo. It is named after late Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who in turn had a lot to do with the construction of the already mentioned Charles Konan Banny Stadium, which he never saw finished due to his death in 2020. Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly will host its first ever game this Tuesday, as Tunisia takes on Namibia.

Stade Laurent Pokou

Located in San-Pedro, Stade Laurent Pokou is named after legendary striker Laurent Pokou, who was also the AFCON’s all-time top goalscorer until he was overtaken by Samuel Eto’o in 2008. This is the third 20,000-seat stadium of this tournament, inaugurated just a few months ago in September. Unlike the Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly, however, it has already seen some action from the ‘Elephants’ of the Ivorian national team, and we will hopefully get to see more good football unfold between these walls.

Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé

We come back to the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé, the country’s most important stadium. With 60,000 seats, no other Ivorian venue comes close in terms of size, but also in terms of glamour. The design is in fact quite spectacular, with the arches running along the stadium exterior earning it the nickname “Arc de Triomphe”. The entire design and construction process was interestingly headed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and the Beijing Construction Engineering Group, completed in 2020 to replace Le Félicia as the main ground of Ivorian football. The Ivory Coast needed an improved, high-quality, and modern venue to host this tournament and look good doing it. Those tasked with the realization of the project certainly achieved this goal, giving Ivorians a brand new national stadium where they can dream of seeing their national team lift the African Cup of Nations.