Africa Cup: where sport is the loser

The first thing you notice in Bata, Equatorial Guinea's biggest city, is that the streets are in great condition. In fact, for Africa they are in really great condition. Millions of dollars of oil money has helped make this country one of Africa's richest in the last 15 years. The country's president Teodore Obiang likes to spend the money on himself, and on the country's infrastructure.

The people of Equatorial Guinea are doing it tough though, as can be seen in the middle of Bata, as you walk around. The city's slums are centrally located, and are dominated by small wooden shacks. Running water is often nowhere to be seen. Juan Pablo, a young volunteer football coach in Bata, says that he wants to be a coach in Europe one day. "In Equatorial Guinea there are two worlds," he says as he shows off his local area. "The world of the poor and the world of the rich. The wealthy build their houses out of cement, the others don't."

While the Africa Cup of Nations doesn't create many headlines in Germany, it is one of the continent's biggest sports events. The plan to host the tournament in Equatorial Guinea has been controversial. The country is home to one of Africa's longest dictatorships. President Obiang has ruled here with an iron fist for over 35 years, few people are prepared to speak up and say anything out of line.

Organized in record time

After Morocco demanded to postpone the event to 2016 due to the Ebola risk, and was then promptly stripped of hosting the tournament, Obiang was the only head of state in Africa capable of organizing the Africa Cup at such short notice.

The exact cost of the AFCON to the country remains unknown, but Andres Jorge Mbomio from Equatorial Guinea's national football federation, told German broadcaster WDR that it has been a big ask. "Of course, organizing the Africa Cup in two months is very expensive. But the government decided on that, not us."

It's expected that it cost tens of millions of dollars at least. Two of the four stadiums that were needed for the tournament were already constructed, after the country co-hosted the tournament in 2012 with Gabon. Two other, smaller, stadiums had to be built at high speed though. Turf had to be flown in from overseas especially.

A football festival

But now that the tournament is well underway, the atmosphere is just as organizers would have hoped. There are trumpets and chanting, and lots of singing and dancing out on the bleachers. The tournament means a lot for the continent and for its top players, like Manchester City's Yaya Touré, who has just been voted African player of the year for the fourth time in a row.

"It is our national pride that means that us players from overseas return to Africa," he said. "There is so much hunger in Africa, so a tournament like this is very important. The Africa Cup is a party for all Africans."

Ahead of the semifinals, due to begin on Wednesday, experts are still divided over a clear sporting favorite. With Cameroon, Senegal and South Africa all knocked out in the early rounds, most of the big names of African football have already gone. Hosts Equatorial Guinea won their quarterfinal against Tunisia, albeit thanks to a questionable refereeing decision. Now they play their semifinal against Ghana. On Wednesday, DR Congo - also a rank outsider - take on the Ivory Coast.

One thing is for sure though: the loser in all this is sport itself. In Equatorial Guinea there is almost no press freedom, the country is without a newspaper. Obiang's nation is one of the most corrupt in the world.

Last week three demonstrators were thrown in jail after they protested about the tournament in public. But, that won't affect the quality of football over the next few days of course.