By Lagos Correspondent Barnaby Phillips

The African Cup of Nations - the showpiece of African football - continues until 13 February.

A biennial tournament, it was first hosted by Sudan in 1957, and since then has gradually grown in size and prestige.

For the first time in the tournament's history, it is being co-hosted, by Ghana and Nigeria, two of the continent's leading football powers.

This bold experiment has come about more by accident than design; the 22nd African Cup of Nations was originally meant to take place in Zimbabwe.

Last year, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided that Zimbabwe's preparations were not sufficiently advanced, and invited alternative bids.

Both Ghana and Nigeria put their names forward, and CAF eventually decided to award the tournament to both countries.

It was an arrangement that ideally suited neither, but which they have accepted.

Sixteen national teams are taking part in four groups of four teams each; the opening game took place in the Ghanaian capital Accra on 22 January, while the final will be in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos on 13 February.

The social and political importance of football in Africa has never been more obvious.

Sport unifies

It is a sport which often unites the populations of individual countries which are otherwise riven by ethnic and religious differences.

And for the continent as a whole, it provides one of the few areas where it can compete on equal terms with the rest of the world.

Footballers like Liberia's George Weah and Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu have become global superstars - adored by supporters in Europe.

Africans take pride in a sport they excel at, and which does something to correct the bleak image outsiders have of the continent as a wasteland of famine, civil wars and military coups.

Close scrutiny

But both Nigeria and Ghana will be eager to show the world that they can do more than just produce footballing talent.

It is the infrastructure around the matches which will come under the closest scrutiny - the telecommunications, transport and hotel facilities.

In early 1999 Nigeria confounded many critics when it hosted the 24 nation Youth World Cup without any major hiccups.

The stadiums and pitches were in good condition, and the floodlights worked.

But the co-hosting may present new difficulties, especially as Ghana and Nigeria are not even neighbours.

It is notoriously difficult to make telephone calls from one West African country to another, and flight connections can be unreliable.

Passport to riches

There is also plenty of personal ambition at stake.

For many of the younger and lesser known players, the African Cup of Nations offers a unique chance to launch a lucrative career by catching the eye of one of the many European scouts and coaches who flock to the tournament.

Whilst Africa may be an extraordinary pool of footballing talent, its domestic leagues are poorly financed and badly organised.

For the foreseeable future, African footballers will prefer to ply their trade in Europe, and the Cup of Nations offers a cherished passport out.