By: Zackline Colley
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, has announced that the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match between The Gambia and Tunisia will not be held in The Gambia. The game, scheduled for early September, cannot take place at the Independence Stadium due to ongoing renovation work, which will not be completed in time to meet the Confederation of African Football (CAF) requirements.
“Whether we play here in September or not, I guess it’s obvious because CAF normally requires that you must give a stadium 45 days before the match day,” Minister Badjie stated. “And because we are playing in the first week of September, the 45 days expired a week ago. Work is ongoing at the stadium, and it’s not going to be completed until August.”
He explained that CAF requires timely submission of photos, videos, or an in-person inspection to approve a venue for official matches. Given the current state of the Independence Stadium, The Gambia will not be able to host the match against Tunisia. “It is obvious,” Badjie emphasized, “Gambians should have been prepared for that because we were very clear from the beginning in terms of when the work is going to finish. Now that CAF has revealed the dates of the AFCON qualifiers, we cannot submit.”
When asked about the possibility of playing the next match in October against Madagascar in The Gambia, Minister Badjie expressed cautious optimism. “That’s what we look out for. We don’t know the date yet, but we believe that by the end of August, when work is completed, and if CAF is able to come here on time—because we cannot control that, just like what happened the last time—they came towards the end of the work, and we wanted them to come earlier. Hopefully, they come early this time, are able to assess, and declare it fit so we can have our matches played here.”
The Minister’s comments highlight the logistical challenges faced by The Gambia in hosting international matches amid ongoing stadium renovations. Fans and officials alike hope for a timely completion of the work and a favorable inspection to ensure future games can be held on home soil.
