Ecstatic atmosphere in Cairo Stadium

Cairo Stadium-Ahmed Maher: Some 40,000 Egyptian fans flooded the Cairo International Stadium just a few hours before the opening ceremony of the African Cup of Nations amid tight security measures.

The Ecstatic crowd have been roaring supporting chants for the Egyptian team since the venue opened at 12 PM.

However, the sparse number of fans in attendance has frustrated organizers, who expected the 74-thousand capacity stadium, to be packed for the opening game between the hosts and neighbors Libya.

Tight security measures have been taken as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak confirmed he will attend the tournament opening gala.

Local and foreign reporters faced an early scare early in the morning after rumors spread that mobile phones and lap-top computers will not be allowed in the stadium, which did not turn out to be true.