Legendary footballer, Lionel Messi, was recently in Gabon to lay the first stone of a new stadium, the Port-Gentil stadium. The Port-Gentil stadium is slated to host the African Cup Of Nations matches come 2017. 
A man stole the foundation stone, demanding 3m CFA as a ransom fee. Messi was reportedly paid £3.5million after laying the foundation stone. He also snapped a picture holding the stone, wearing a mask.  See more photos from Messi's Gabon Visit.

Lionel Messi has found himself in the center of fresh controversy after the Barcelona superstar was paid “at least £2.4 million in cash” for a two hour appearance with Gabon president Ali Bongo Ondimba. According to The Daily Mail, Messi laid the first stone of a stadium being built in Port-Gentil for the 2017 African Cup of Nations.

In an attempt to explain Messi’s appearance, President Bongo is quoted as saying: “When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I met Messi who had told me that he would come to visit me in Libreville. It’s a promise he made me. He is a man of honour who just kept his word.”

The Barcelona and Argentina striker, who is facing trial for tax fraud in Spain, also helped with the opening of a new Bongo family restaurant, and showed full support for their regime. ‘People are outraged about this,’ said an opposition source in the country, which is regularly linked with corruption and human rights abuses.

‘Messi should do a bit of research into what Bongo represents.’ One third of the Gabonese population live “at or below the poverty line,” according to World Bank statistics cited by Allen’s report, calling into question whether Messi’s “rental” made for an intelligent use of funds. As for Messi, these latest reported earnings could serve to cause some confusion regarding the methods by which football’s biggest brand markets himself.

See more photos from Messi's Visit

Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi, laid the first stone at a future Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) venue in Gabon on Saturday. The four-time world player of the year officially started the building process at the Port-Gentil stadium, which will host AFCON matches in 2017. The ceremony which took place on a wide sandy ground where the stadium will be built saw the Argentine, who was visiting the country for the first time, sign autographs on team jerseys worn by his fans, before proceeding with the laying of the first stone. He was accompanied by the president of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba.

“When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I met Messi who had told me that he would come to visit me in Libreville,” the president said. “It’s a promise he made me. He is a man of honour who just kept his word.” The new stadium will have a capacity of 20,000 and is expected to host matches from November 2016 in the build-up to the tournament. Gabon, the 2012 co-hosts with Equatorial Guinea, won a vote by the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee in Cairo on April 8 to host the 2017 AFCON ahead of Algeria and Ghana.