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Sleepy Port Gentil not in the mood for AFCON 2017

AFCON 2017 host city Port Gentil doesn't seem to be in the mood for the imminent tournament, reports Pulse Ghana Chief Editor Godfred Akoto Boafo.

"This AFCON makes no difference to me. I am trying to survive here and I am not sure the AFCON coming here will impact my business in any way," he says.

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The view expressed by the young trader is shared by a lot of the residents of this once bustling hub of Gabon's oil wealth. A lot of them feel the resources spent on the construction of a magnificent new stadium on the outskirts of the town could have been reinvested in other parts of the economy to help them out of their recession.

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A drive through the city quickly provides proof of the mood. In the office district, popularly called Orange, several decrepit buildings tell the tale of this once wealthy city. Almost all of the major companies in the country were housed on this avenue. Now most of them are closed or almost closed, their compounds flooded by the rain. Workers have been laid off as the worldwide downturn in the prices of oil have hit this part of the world very hard.

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My taxi driver and interpreter, Emmanuel, a mild-mannered Gabonese of Nigerian parentage explains the full impact.

"I used to work for Sogara (Gabon's state-owned refinery) in the past but I was laid off with several others. The number of foreigners who used to visit and work in this town has dropped so money is no longer moving around like it used to. This taxi job is my third in the past year."

With economic problems this size, it is no wonder locals are struggling to perk themselves up for a venue that will host some of the most engaging games of the tournament. Ghana, Egypt, Mali and Uganda are the four countries who will play at the brand new stadium.

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The local organising committee is doing its best, with AFCON banners springing up around the city and tickets being sold for as low as XFA500. But these efforts haven't seem to have done much to  lift the mood so far.

The apathy, though, also has a political connection.

Port Gentil is hometown to national opposition leader Jean Ping, who was declared loser to incumbent Ali Bongo after a tension filled, closely fought election in August 2016. The after shocks of that political outcome can still be felt in this city.

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Port Gentil's AFCON malaise is not all that dire, though. There is a sizeable Malian presence in the city and with their beloved Eagles in town, their fans have promised a party.

"This is our AFCON in Gabon and we will win it here. We are going to enjoy these matches with our friends," Adama Coulibaly, President of Mali supporters group here.

Port Gentil will certainly need that extra effort to wake it up before its opening game on the 17th of January.

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