China: The ‘different participant’ in 2024 Afcon match

A normal view of the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium in Abidjan as supporters arrive for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations on January 13, 2024. PHOTO | AFP

When the Africa Cup of Nations kicked off on January 13, 2023 the opening match between Guinea Bissau and the hosts, Ivory Coast, was performed on the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.

The state-of-the-art venue is one among six stadiums getting used throughout the soccer match.

At a ceremony to mark the start of its development in 2016, the previous prime minister of Ivory Coast, Daniel Kablan Duncan, was accompanied by a number of Chinese language embassy officers primarily based within the nation.

Their presence was no shock. In any case, the stadium was designed by the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and constructed by the Beijing Building Engineering Group. Each of those are Chinese language state entities.

China was closely concerned in constructing different match venues too. In San Pedro, the Laurent Pokou Stadium was constructed by the China Civil Engineering Building Company (once more, state-owned).

And the China Nationwide Constructing Materials group served as normal contractor on the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo.

All of that is a part of a long-term coverage of “stadium diplomacy” which China has been deploying throughout the continent. Linked to the belt and highway initiative, which is meant to advertise commerce and foster interdependence between China and different nations, stadiums have incessantly been gifted to African nations (or else paid for utilizing comparatively low cost loans).

As an illustration, when Gabon co-hosted (with Equatorial Guinea) the Cup of Nations in 2012, China was concerned in constructing each of its stadiums. 5 years later, when Gabon hosted the match once more, China constructed one other two.

Chinese language stadium diplomacy

Gabon now sends round 15 per cent of its exports – principally crude petroleum and manganese – to China.

And simply as development of the Alassane Ouattara Stadium bought underway, Ivory Coast’s president – who occurs to be named Alassane Ouattara – visited Beijing to finalise a strategic cooperative partnership.

By 2020, China had invested US$1.5 billion (£1.2 billion) in Ivory Coast. Now the African nation exports US$700 million price of pure sources and items to China, up from US$100 million in 2016.

Chinese language stadium diplomacy, which additionally exists in nations together with Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Mali and Cameroon, is formally framed as being mutually useful. However some critics disagree.

For whereas recipient nations get gleaming new sports activities infrastructure, inward funding and export offers, questions stay concerning the financial and political penalties by way of management and exploitation.

For China although, the advantages are clear. Stadium diplomacy allows the nation to increase its sphere of affect in Africa, usually making a political imbalance which leaves African nations on the behest of Beijing.

On the identical time, Africa has turn out to be a supply of uncooked supplies that assist maintain China’s financial progress and world dominance in sectors similar to battery manufacturing and telecommunications.

However China has a strategic rival. Saudi Arabia additionally needs a chunk of the soccer diplomacy motion.

China’s new stadiums

The Gulf powerhouse is charging forward with its personal financial transformation and growth, a part of which includes investing tons of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in sport. And on the coronary heart of Saudi plans is the intention to place itself as an “Afro-Eurasian” hub of worldwide soccer.

At one stage in 2023, it appeared as if the dominion would bid to host the 2030 Fifa World Cup together with Egypt and Greece. As a part of the proposed association, Saudi Arabia was reportedly providing to construct new stadiums in every of its associate nations.

Ultimately, Morocco, Spain and Portugal might be internet hosting that occasion, and Saudi Arabia is now the only real bidder for the 2034 competitors as an alternative. However that too will most likely contain some collaboration with Egypt, as Neom, the US$500 billion mega-city Saudi Arabia is constructing, would most likely kind a part of its internet hosting plans.

In different developments, Saudi Arabia has turn out to be the principal sponsor of the African Soccer League. And the Saudi Arabian Soccer Federation has agreed a take care of the Mauritanian Soccer Affiliation to develop infrastructure and prepare referees, as a part of efforts to enhance relations between the 2 nations.

These strikes have provoked a combined response. Some commentators accuse Saudi Arabia of making an attempt to get Africa hooked on oil as a part of a plan to offset reducing demand elsewhere. Others have noticed that Saudi Arabia wants entry to Africa’s pure sources (similar to lithium, cobalt and copper) to drive its financial reforms.

We’ve got already seen one other Gulf nation, Qatar, setting out a template for engagement with Africa. Having hosted the 2022 Fifa World Cup, it determined to fund soccer tasks in Rwanda, whereas state-owned Qatar Airways made a bid to amass vital stakes in each Air Rwanda and Kigali’s new worldwide airport.

Africa has clearly turn out to be a supply of nice curiosity to some rich nations on the lookout for locations to unfold affect and funding. The Africa Cup of Nations is a main instance of this – with the diplomatic prizes at stake being as beneficial as any of the fixtures being performed in China’s new stadiums round Ivory Coast.

Simon Chadwick is Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Financial system, SKEMA Enterprise College and Chris Toronyi is PhD Candidate and Lecturer, Loughborough College.