NAMIBIA 2014: Empty stadia as 9th African Women Championship kicks off

The much an­ticipated 9th African Women Championship(AWC) kicked off in Wind­hoek , Namibia, with fans staying way from the continental soccer fiesta designed by CAF to show case African Women football.
In attendance was CAF President Issa Hayatou and Namibian Prime Minister, Hage Geingob,  who declared the champi­onship open.

The earlier appeal from Minister of sports, Jerry Ekandjo,urging his countrymen to turn out en-masse to support and witness the best female players strut their stuff seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, as the Sam Nu­joma Stadium, remained virtually empty during the 20- minute opening ceremony.
In their bid to shore up support for the home team and all participating teams, Namibian govern­ment had declared that through out the duration of the tournament, all the gates to the stadium would be thrown open .
On the eve of the AWC, Namibian Football Association (NFA) had handed out free tickets for the opening ceremo­ny and the first games of tournament, with a stiff warning that people without tickets should not attempt going to the sta­dium as they would not be allowed inside.
Namibian government had assured that hosting the tournament would transform their country
and that the legacy that would be left behind is expected to surpass the millions of dollars that the government had invested in the tournament.
Dancers, traditional performers and Namibian singing sensation, Sally all performed to a stadia that boosted of a sparse crowd waving Namibia flag.
The ceremony cli­maxed with the presence of elderly women dressed in green outfits represent­ing their role as mothers of the nation.

Credit/ The Sun