Mali given thumbs up for African Nations Cup venues
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JOHANNESBURG, July 29 (Reuters) - All five proposed venues for the upcoming African Nations Cup finals in Mali will be used at next year's tournament, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have decided.
The decision came at the end of a final inspection visit this week to the west African country, led by CAF president Issa Hayatou, and was confirmed by officials on Sunday.
The visit by a nine-man delegation came after concern that some of the venues would not be ready for the 16-nation tournament, which starts on January 19 next year.
But Hayatou said he had been delighted by the progress in the building of the stadiums, hotels and the upgrading of telecommunications facilities.
Matches will therefore go ahead in the capital Bamako and the provincial towns of Kayes, Mopti, Segou and Sikasso, he added.
A final programme of the matches was being prepared in time for the draw on September 8, a CAF spokesman added.
Hosts Mali are joined by holders Cameroon, Algeria, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia in the finals.
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