The 25th African Nations Cup football tournament kicked off in Cairo on Friday with 16 top African national teams competing for the title of the most prestigious football event on the African continent.

The opening ceremony started at around 5:30 p.m. (1530 GMT), which was attended by a number of dignitaries, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef and President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Issa Hayatou.

"I declare the opening of the 25th African Nations Cup," Mubarak said at the ceremony.

Parachutists then landed in the stadium, carrying the national flags of the 16 teams as well as CAF and FIFA.

The opening ceremony, which last about an hour, featured ancient Egyptian civilization and the long history of Egypt.

Viewers filled up the stadium and the ceremony reached a climax with red and green lasers spelling out African Nations Cup on the pitch.

The 16 African teams, divided into four groups, will play until Feb. 10 in four Egyptian cities, namely Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia for the highest glory of African football.

Host Egypt will play Libya in the opening match which is due to start at 7:00 p.m. (1700 GMT).

Source: Xinhua