By Adam Burrows, Boston.com Correspondent

Just days before the start of the competition, crews in Libreville were still working around the clock to finish construction in and around the sparkling new 40,000 seat Gabon-China Friendship Stadium, built by Shanghai Construction with Chinese government support.

Still-veiled statues and shrink-wrapped palm trees blocked the main entrance, while workers paved roads and dug trenches to address problems with the water table.

Yet even as excitement built to a crescendo in the bustling capital city of a half-million plus on the Gulf of Guinea, an air of serenity pervaded the preparations. In the end, almost everything was ready in time for the opening match.

Gabon used the occasion to launch its omnipresent 3-0 campaign against AIDS (zero transmission, zero deaths, zero discrimination) with Samuel Eto’o on hand as the initiative’s public face.

Accompanied by the Cameroonian superstar, the Gabonese first lady directed a field full of schoolchildren as they sent aloft red and white balloons in a tasteful opening ceremony marking the start of the campaign.

The Libreville stadium was packed with wildly enthusiastic Gabonese fans in yellow and blue for the games involving the home side just as the Bata Stadium was filled with adoring red-clad fans when co-host Equatorial Guinea took the field.

Stirring, last-minute hometown victories and unexpected advances to the knockout round sent local supporters into delirium, with dancing and celebrations spilling onto the streets.

For the media, the reception was welcoming and facilities modern, with armies of solicitous volunteers standing at the ready to assist. Though information was usually late to arrive, the logistical intricacies of scheduling and transportation came off with only a rare hitch.

The soccer itself has been solid, with close games, spectacular goals, and not a single 0-0 draw.

But off the pitch, apart from the moments of drama, away from cameras and microphones, a tale of unfortunate circumstance and missed opportunity was unfolding.

There was a price to pay for leaving it until late.

The stadiums emptied out for the matches following those involving Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, and, other than the slender sections housing the spirited supporters who had made the long journey from their home countries to central Africa with their drums and flags, crowds were sadly sparse.

One was left to wonder why unsold tickets were not distributed to local residents and schoolchildren. Hawkers selling merchandise and souvenirs were strangely absent.

Perhaps this isn’t surprising.

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are difficult to reach, the distances between venues hard to traverse. There is little tourist infrastructure and both countries are expensive, even by western standards, which becomes understandable when one realizes that nearly everything is imported.

Still, local merchants expecting a small windfall were sorely disappointed.

A government worker in the Ministry of Commerce expressed frustration that there was little promotion of the event and little effort to accommodate visitors traveling from afar. Taxi drivers and hotel workers complained that tickets were unaffordable.

In Franceville, a brand-new gated hotel complex with an adjoining modern stadium, intended for the Mali national team and its entourage, had few guests, the team having relocated 30 miles outside of town when it learned that the stadium had artificial turf.

East of Franceville, in the dusty town of Leconi at the edge of the Bateke Plateau, where the forest abruptly gives way to canyon-riven savannah that stretches to the Kalahari basin, Mayor Pauline Nzede described her plans to establish Leconi as a jumping-off point for tourists visiting the plateau and its renowned national park, a World Heritage site.

The government approved her proposal and promised financial support, but nothing arrived in time for the competition. Just as well perhaps since there would have been few visitors.

The hosting of the tournament and the success of the Gabon team has stimulated national pride and provided the president with photo opportunities and the chance to associate with winning athletes. Ditto for Equatorial Guinea.

Not everyone was convinced though. Without prompting, Libreville residents confided their disaffection for the ruling elites, whom they accuse of exploiting Gabon’s wealth for their own benefit while leaving little for the people.

Yet as they gather in open-air restaurants to cheer and view the home matches on big screens, the warm and friendly Gabonese people express pride in their Panthers, triumphant in all their group stage matches and playing attractive, flowing football.

One only wishes there were more visitors to bear witness and more dividends to go around.

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Both host nations lost in the quarterfinals, Gabon to Mali on penalty kicks after a tightly contested 1-1 draw, Equatorial Guinea decisively to the Ivory Coast 3-0. The winners will meet on Wednesday. Zambia easily handled Sudan 3-0 while Ghana needed extra time and a blunder by the Tunisia goalkeeper to escape with a 2-1 win. The Black Stars will need to raise their game a notch for their Wednesday semifinal match-up against Zambia, who coach Herve Renard has playing in top form.

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Adam Burrows reported from Gabon and Equatorial Guinea during the group stage of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.