MAN supply 16 coaches for the teams competiting at 2017s African Cup of Nations in Gabon
The African Cup of Nations kicked on on 14 January 2017 with a match between hosts Gabon and Guinea-Bissau. The tournament will run until 5 February 2017. Throughout the event, MAN Truck & Buses will provide every team with its own team bus.
The professional footballers are being chauffeured between the stadia and their team accommodation in the luxury coaches. “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,” enthuses Burak Keskinkilic, Head of Bus Sales at the Center.
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,” says 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,” explains Jimmy El-Khoury, Product and Sales Engineering Manager and ProfiDrive Trainer from the Center Importer NWC Africa.
