LIBREVILLE: Only a small number of foreign fans will be allowed past the tightly-controlled Equatorial Guinea borders to see the Africa Cup of Nations which was rescued by the country's autocratic leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
The long-shunned Obiang will get precious international attention by hosting the continent's biggest sporting event after it nearly became a victim of Ebola fever.
But it does not mean that Obiang, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since he seized power in 1979 in a coup d'etat and now controls the West African country's vast oil wealth, is opening up to the world.
The president has insisted that the tournament, which starts Saturday and runs to February 8, should not be a chance for illegal migrants to get in.
"Neighbours who want to come see the Nations Cup matches, let them come on organised buses, let them register at our consulates and embassies. At the frontier their passport will be confiscated and given back when they return home," he said.
The competition is guaranteed a huge international television audience. But diplomats say administrative hurdles have stopped many fans getting visas.
Equatorial Guinea may not want many fans though. The biggest stadium at Bata has a capacity of 35,000 while the smallest in Ebebiyin will take only 5,000.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) was left in desperate straits in November though after Morocco withdrew from hosting the tournament because of their fears the Ebola virus could be spread by visiting fans.
"Two months from the event, to accept to organise a competition like this, you really have to be a true African," said CAF president Issa Hayatou, only half joking when Equatorial Guinea stepped in.
Not everyone is happy though.
The west African country has had huge oil wealth since the early 2000s, but the population remains one of the world's poorest and the government's human rights record is strongly criticised. The ruling family faces legal investigations in the United States and Europe over misused funds.
The only opposition member of parliament in Equatorial Guinea, Placido Miko, has called hosting the football tournament "an absurdity" for which no budget has been voted by parliament.
"Oil represents 90% of the country's resources," Miko told AFP. "In the current climate in which the barrel of oil has lost 40-50% of its value, this is an irresponsible improvisation which will bring nothing to the country."
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