The 2014 African Nations Championship, referred to as CHAN 2014, kicks off at Cape Town Stadium today, with few tickets sold, and a scandal surrounding South Africa Football Association (SAFA) Cape Town Vice President Vernon Seymour.

CHAN 2014 is the first international soccer tournament to be held at the Cape Town Stadium since the 2010 World Cup.  Sixteen African teams will participate in 32 matches across the country, playing matches at stadia in Cape Town (including Athlone Stadium), Bloemfontein and in Polokwane.  The tournament theme is ‘Celebrating Africa’s Home Champions’.

The African Nations Championship will commence with the Opening Ceremony at 16h00 today, which includes performances by Jimmy Dludlu, The Soil, Mi Casa, and Zolani Mkhiva.  The New Age reports that more than 300 dancers and models will form part of the Opening Ceremony  At 18h00 the first match of the tournament kicks off, with local team Bafana Bafana playing Mozambique, and Mali playing Nigeria.   Metrorail is putting on eleven trains to bring fans to the Cape Town Stadium, and is offering free return tickets to Mother City soccer fans.

Cape Town will be the home base of the national team, and also is the headquarters for the tournament.  Half of the 32 matches will be played in Cape Town. The Quarter Final, Semi-Final, Final and Closing Ceremony will all be held at Cape Town Stadium, CHAN 2014 coming to a close on 1 February.  The City has announced that it has appointed 600 volunteers to assist in marketing, media accreditation, transport, logistics, and protocol for the tournament.

Earlier this week The New Age reported that ‘ineffective marketing and a lack of international stars has left African Nations Championships (sic) (Chan) senior officials under tremendous pressure to boost ticket sales for the tournament’.  The Local Organising Committee is said to be hard at work to prevent the embarrassment of a poorly attended tournament.  On Wednesday the Cape Times reported that only 10000 tickets had been sold, even though ticket sales commenced in November!  Discounting ticket prices is likely to follow!

Political party IFP called on the patriotic support of CHAN, in showcasing ‘its hospitality and boost to tourism sector through these games’.   The tournament is important in uniting soccer in Africa, and to celebrate African football, the party said.  ‘May the spirit of African solidarity, goodwill, and unity be manifested through Chan 2014‘, the IFP requested, according to The New Age.

The success (or lack of) the CHAN 2014 tournament rests on the shoulders of Grant Pascoe, City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee member of Tourism, Events, and Marketing, who has not succeeded in organising any successful event for Cape Town since being given a portfolio he has no experience of!  He said about CHAN 2014: ‘The City of Cape Town is excited to host CHAN 2014 and the die-hard soccer fans who will make their way to the city. Soccer is a unifying sport across communities and I urge fans to come out in their numbers to support their teams. Put on your favourite soccer shirts, dust off your vuvuzelas, and bring the “gees” with you to the various matches,‘ in the City of Cape Town’s latest newsletter.

The CHAN 2014 tournament has been awarded ‘FIFA A’ status, the tournament’s status earning ranking points, reports The New Age.

Seymour has been accused of ‘sexual harassment’ of a young female colleague, according to the Weekend Argus, using the name of the CHAN 2014 tournament and its ‘resources‘ to ‘solicit sexual favours from the colleague‘!   Seymour is in charge of the CHAN 2014 competitions, and organising match and training venues.  He is facing disciplinary as well as legal action.

It will be interesting to see how Pascoe will spend our ratepayers’ monies in the name of ‘Tourism’, no booking benefit having been seen for accommodation establishments to date! Pascoe is a huge soccer fan, and appears to rate hosting soccer events as the panacea for Tourism in Cape Town!

POSTSCRIPT 11/1: On Kfm this morning Councillor Pascoe is quoted as saying that 20000 tickets have been sold for today’s match, and he begs Capetonians to support the tournament!

African Nations Championship: 11 January – 1 February.  Tickets R40 – R200 at Shoprite/Checkers and www.computicket.co.za

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage