By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Bakary Badjie, has disclosed that renovation of the country’s main football field to meet CAF and FIFA standards will commence by end of this month.
The Minister made this revelation to the press shortly after watching the senior national team play its home game away from home in Stade Lat Dior in Thies in Senegal.
“We are working internally to get the fund that is necessary and getting the right contractor to do the job. We don’t want to do the job and in the end, CAF comes and say we have not passed. So we want to take our time and ensure that whenever the job is done, we will pass. We are hoping that by the end of this month, work will start.”
The minister voiced that they are hopeful that by August, the work will be completed at the stadium and hopefully, the country will host Mali in September.
“If it is not completed, at least be good enough to allow the CAF inspection team to give a one-match approval for September then will continue the job before December”, Hon. Badjie explained.
The Gambia’s independence stadium is being deemed unfit to host CAF and FIFA elite competitions.
Weeks ago, it was reported that the government needed 100 million dalasis to renovate the stadium to at least meet certain requirements to host games.
Many Gambian football zealots described the current conditions of the stadium as ‘unacceptable ‘ and ‘shameful’.
The Scorpions will play home to Mali in September and the Minister is positive that the game will be played at the independence stadium.
