Ghana?s 2008 Nations Cup Bid Committee yesterday unveiled the designs of stadia earmarked for construction at Tamale and Sekondi for the tournament. Also unveiled at the press conference was a redesigned model of the Accra Stadium that would give it a modern outlook.

Mr Rashid Bawa, Minister of State in charge of Youth and Sports, who unveiled the designs and a pictorial presentation was very confident that Ghana would win the rights to host African football?s biggest competition in 2008 when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announces the host next month.

With Libya following South Africa?s late withdrawal from the race.A CAF inspection team is expected in Ghana tomorrow for a four-day tour during which they will inspect facilities put in place and the country?s general preparedness for the tournament.

Bid Committee chief, Dr Kofi Amoah, waxed lyrical about Ghana?s chances as he briefed the press on the extensive work put in preparing the bid document, and the benefits the country will derive from hosting the tournament.

Dr Amoah confessed that it was ?a tough assignment? and outlined the cost and benefits of investing about $100 million into infrastructure development and other facilities to ensure a successful tournament. "What we decided to do is to bring creativity to task to fit into modern times by building modern stadia which are self-sustaining financially,".

"We have reached a stage where sports, or football for that matter, should not be a drain on the economy but rather serve as a resourceful area for economic development, he said."

The Bid Committee has since last year done extensive lobbying to convince the sport?s continental governing body that Ghana is the most suitable destination for CAN 2008.

Members of the bid team have visited CAF President Issa Hayatou at CAF?s Cairo headquarters, and also hosted the Camerounian in Accra at the invitation of President J.A. Kufuor. They visited Tunisia during this year?s Nations Cup competition to pick a few lessons from the organisers, and also visited the Egyptian FA, who will organise the 2006 tournament, for advice.

Dr Amoah believes that Ghanaians? passion for football and the country?s rich football tradition are the main thrust of Ghana?s bid, while other strong points include the country?s reputation for democracy and stability, liberal economy, flexible immigration laws, availability of modern telecommunications and good medical facilities.

While two new 20,000-seater stadia are to be built in Sekondi and Tamale, the Accra and Kumasi stadia will undergo various structural changes to give them a modern outlook.

A more extensive work will be done on the Accra stadium, which was built in 1952. The upgrading work will see the seating capacity increased, extension of the Presidential Stand to seat 200 guests as required by CAF, extension of the north and south wings of the Popular Stand, construction of a multi-purpose sports hall, a swimming pool, training tracks for athletics and relocation of the National Sports Council offices to a modern office complex.

Outside the stadium, near the Accra Race Course, will be a multi-layer car park and a permanent fire station for emergency situations.