Independence Stadium Gets Temporal Approval From CAF

Press release

The Ministry of Youth & Sports has announced  that following the inspection of the Independence Stadium held on Wednesday, 9 April ,the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has granted temporary approval for the facility.  A statement from MOYS on this development reads in full:

“This temporary approval allows the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) to host two upcoming matches on home ground: the CHAN 2024 qualifiers (second leg ) between The Gambia and Algeria, and the Fifa U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers (1st round) between The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire.

In a letter dated 11th April 2025 to the Gambia Football Federation (GFF), Caf acknowledged the significant improvements made to the stadium’s pitch and granted temporal approval for two upcoming matches. Caf also emphasised the need for pitch equipment to meet the full requirements for a permanent certification.

The Ministry, and by extension the Government, assures the public of its commitment to continue the ongoing procurement of the necessary equipment for the proper maintenance and upkeep of the pitch, paving the way for final approval”.