Lionel Messi visits new stadium site in Gabon

 Lionel Messi took a break from his summer holidays to visit the site of a new stadium in Gabon.

While his Barcelona teammates were arriving in Los Angeles for the start of their pre-season tour of the US, Messi made the long hike to Africa to lay the first brick in Port-Gentil.

 Messi officially started the building process at the Port-Gentil stadium, which will host Africa Cup of Nations matches in 2017. He came dressed in a casual pair of denim shorts and t-shirt.More photos after the cut...

"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" said the Gabon president. "It's a promise he made me. He is a man of honour who just kept his word.".

There are reports that he was paid 3.5m Euros by Ali Bongo to make the appearance and it's causing serious wahala in the country. Gabonese are angry about the obscene amount and say their president belittled himself by driving Messi around. He was there for just one day.