All is set for the highly anticipated grand opening ceremony of the 13th All Africa Games, which kicks off today, Friday, March 8, 2024, at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
With this massive showpiece coming to Ghana for the first time, Ghanaian dancehall luminary Shatta Wale and Afrobeat killer King Promise are set to headline the artistically designed event.
It is expected to be full of pomp, pageantry and colour, celebrating the sporting heritage, culture and aspirations of the continent and Ghana in particular.
The African Games, which will welcome 49 countries to grace this unique showpiece, is dubbed “Experience the African Dream.”
A total of 30 sporting disciplines will feature at the 13th African Games, with seven Olympic qualifying sporting disciplines, 16 non-Olympic qualifiers, and seven demonstration sports.
The games will take place in numerous venues, but the 11,000-capacity University of Ghana Sports Stadium is the venue chosen to host the opening ceremony.
Other venues include the newly constructed Borteyman Sports Complex, the Accra Sports Stadium, the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, the Paa Kwesi Nduom Sports Stadium, and the Achimota School Cricket Oval.
This evening’s opening ceremony will be graced by some notable artists, like Ghanaian highlife legends Pat Thomas and Ebo Taylor.
South Africa’s Kamo Mphela will also be giving the fans and the continent something to cheer about as they will be performing alongside Shatta Wale and King Promise.
Some 2 billion viewers are estimated to watch these games on TV and online across the world.
The ticket prices slated for the event range from GHc50 to GHc500, which can be bought through the official website of the games or using the short code *713*23# for easy and faster service.
The games began unofficially last Monday with disciplines in Table Tennis, followed by Badminton and Karate.
Football kicked off on Thursday, with Senegal beating Mauritania and Angola inflicting a 2-1 defeat on Nigeria.