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Indications have emerged on the reason the Confédération of African Football (CAF), organisers of the Africa Cup of Nations, ordered 16 MAN Lion’s Coaches for the 2017 tournament currently going on in Gabon. #AutoReportAfrica gathered that the buses which had since been delivered and are presently being deployed as team buses are to ensure that the players are comfortable when being chauffeured between the stadia and their team accommodation in the luxury coaches.
The overall goal, #AutoReportAfrica findings reveal, is to enable the professional footballers relax very well in order to enable them give their best performances on the pitch. Sixteen teams are competing in the tournament which started Jan. 14 with an opening match between Gabon and Guinea-Bissau and runs till Feb. 5 at Gabonese stadia in Libreville, Franceville, Oyem and Port-Gentil. Each of the teams has a bus to itself with two drivers who chauffeur the team in turns.
The buses were installed with a comprehensive range of safety systems such as EBS, ABS, ASR, ESP as well as fire and smoke detection systems . They also offer driver training using MAN ProfiDrive.
Head of Bus Sales at the MAN Center Importer NWC Africa, Burak Keskinkilic, explained how the deal was sealed.
”This unique order came about as a result of the close and productive cooperation between the MAN importer in Gabon, SODIM TP, and the MAN Center Importer NWC Africa,” Keskinkilic said.
The MAN Lion’s Coach has numerous innovative systems to ensure that driving is safe, even in challenging traffic situations. For example, the 12-metre long coaches are equipped with the EBS electronic brake system, which includes ABS, ASR, the ESP electronic stability programme, cruise control and a speed limiter. The fire and smoke detection systems in the engine compartment also ensure the highest possible level of safety for footballers, trainers, assistants and drivers. The green-tinted, double-glazed windows provide quiet and privacy inside the coaches and enable the players to fully focus on their matches. The highly efficient air conditioning system, which is adapted to local conditions, also helps to ensure their comfort. The coaches are also equipped with a DVD player with two LCD displays, a kitchen, toilet and two refrigerators.
The MAN Lion’s Coaches are powered by 400 hp (294 kW) diesel engines, which meet the Euro 4 emission standard. The MAN TipMatic gearbox reduces fuel consumption and increases driving comfort while the practical cockpit impresses with its easy-to-read displays and intuitively arranged controls. To ensure the drivers were ideally prepared for their work at the Africa Cup of Nations, they were given five days of training on the Libreville ring road by MAN ProfiDrive trainers Jimmy El-Khoury and Denis Rigot covering safety, fuel economy, guidelines and new vehicle technologies.
“In addition to theoretical knowledge, there was a particular emphasis on practical training. Each of the 32 drivers who will be working at the Africa Cup of Nations spent at least two hours behind the wheel. It was not just the footballers who were training intensively ahead of the tournament,” said Rigot, bus expert from MAN Truck & Bus France. “The drivers were really impressed with how quiet the coach is inside. And they really liked the multi-function steering wheel, which makes driving safer and easier,” explained Jimmy El-Khoury, Product and Sales Engineering Manager and ProfiDrive Trainer from the Center Importer NWC Africa.
The Africa Cup of Nations has been held since 1957. The defending champions this year are Ivory Coast following their success at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea. Egypt is the most successful country in the tournament’s history to date with a total of seven titles. The following countries have qualified for this year’s tournament: Gabon, Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Burkina Faso.
