By Aminata Kuyateh
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y Badjie, on Tuesday assured Gambians that the ongoing renovation of the Independence Stadium is nearing completion, with only the football pitch remaining to meet the criteria for full approval by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, the minister said the briefing was called to give journalists firsthand access to the renovation works and to address public concerns that have persisted since the last official update in mid-2025.
He explained that the renovation project was launched in January 2023, with construction beginning in June of that year.
While acknowledging public claims that the works have taken too long, the minister clarified that the stadium had previously undergone temporary renovations to host Afcon 2021 qualifiers after receiving Caf approval at the time.
Following the Afcon tournament in 2022, CAF imposed a broader ban on several stadiums across Africa, including Independence Stadium, which necessitated the current comprehensive rehabilitation.
According to the minister, the project has faced several challenges, including the absence of prior budget allocations, complex procurement processes and evolving technical requirements from CAF. Despite these difficulties, he said CAF’s most recent inspection approved all aspects of the stadium except the pitch, which is currently under construction.
The minister said the pitch will be a hybrid surface, with artificial turf beneath the natural grass.
He noted that initial grading problems arose due to a lack of specialised equipment, which has since been procured. “An international firm, Gregory, has been contracted as a subcontractor under GIGO Construction to carry out the pitch works, with the Ministry of Works serving as supervisor and consultant,” he said.
He further outlined additional Caf requirements that have been addressed, including the construction of a disability access platform to provide designated seating for persons with disabilities, expanded CCTV coverage from about six cameras to roughly 40, and the addition of emergency staircases to improve evacuation routes.
“Road construction around the stadium is also ongoing, alongside the installation of clear signage to guide spectators, with future ticketing expected to be zoned to manage crowd movement,” the minister said.
On the question of when football will return to the stadium, the minister said the pitch is expected to be completed within three months, followed by a structured period for grass growth and treatment before a Caf inspection.
He expressed confidence that the stadium would be ready to host The Gambia’s 2027 Afcon qualifiers in Banjul.
Addressing concerns raised by the auditors on the procurement process, the minister said all procurement processes were conducted in line with legal requirements, including tendering, evaluation by contract committees and approval by the Gambia Public Procurement Authority.
He explained that joint ventures with foreign experts were necessary due to the lack of local companies with stadium construction experience and stressed that no work proceeded without GPPA approval.
Journalists later questioned the minister on the total cost of the project, Caf category standards and the status of the athletics track.
In response, he said the track is part of the current phase, with materials expected to arrive in February, and that about D376 million has been disbursed so far, with costs subject to change as works continue.
The Minister also clarified that a D10 million figure cited in audit reports related to temporary works carried out in 2020 for Afcon 2021 qualifiers was not part of the current renovation.
Earlier, the General Manager of the Independence Stadium and Friendship Hostel, Ebou Faye said the media were invited not only for a briefing but also to tour the facility to see the extent of work done.
He acknowledged the challenges faced during the renovation but said the stadium has undergone a significant transformation, adding that Caf now considers it a “new stadium” due to the scale of rehabilitation completed.
The press conference was also attended by Ebrima Colley, consultant for the stadium project, and Bakary K Jammeh, first vice president of the Gambia Football Federation and co-chair of the Stadium Technical Committee.
