Barcelona star Lionel Messi spent a part of his vacation on a visit to Gabon on Saturday where he helped to lay the foundation for a new 20,000-seat stadium in Port-Gentil.
The Argentina captain was a guest of President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
He signed autographs for many joyous fans before he was driven in a presidential convoy to the scene of the foundation laying ceremony.
“When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I saw Messi and he said he would come to visit me in Libreville,” President Bong told media.
“It was a promise which he made to me. He is a man of honour, one who has kept his word. The calendar worked out well and it has corresponded with the laying of the first stone,” the Gabonese leader added.
Port-Gentil, Gabon’s second biggest city, will be home to matches during the 2017 Afcon. Gabon co-hosted the 2012 tournament with Equatorial Guinea.
They would hope to do better than the quarter final finish from the last time.
#Goal.com#
