The 23rd African Nations Cup has ended after what has been years of worry, culminating in an anxious last few weeks.

Despite the meagre resources at its disposal, Mali's staging of the Nations Cup has been the biggest and most ambitious to date.

Mali is the first country to hold the tournament in six stadiums.

Although the facilities were not up to scratch, especially in Kayes, there were few genuine issues of concern.

Kayes was proven to be short on accommodation and extremely difficult to get to.

Before the tournament critics suggested that Mali was spending far too much on a sports event, when the money could be better used to directly help its people.(ACONS)