Badjie Says National Stadium Will Be Ready Before Next Africa Cup of Nations

By Fatou Sillah

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, said the country’s national stadium would be completed in 2026, in time for the national team’s next home fixtures and ahead of the next Africa Cup of Nations.

In an interview with Eye Africa, Mr. Badjie sought to dispel public criticism over delays in the project, rejecting claims that the stadium has remained idle for five years. He said the facility was under a Confederation of African Football ban for three years and that renovation work has been underway for the past two years.

“In 2026, the stadium will be done, and the Gambians will play their next home games here. Before the next AFCON the stadium will be ready,” he said.

The minister also defended the reported cost of the renovation, estimated at 300 million dalasis, arguing that the figure appears inflated only because it is expressed in local currency. When converted to dollars, he said, the amount is modest by international standards.

“If you tell the Gambian that it is D300 million, they will say it is a lot of money because it is in Dalasi, but if you convert it into dollars, it is a small amount of money for developing a stadium. And there is no country in Africa or anywhere that will renovate a stadium for less than 10 million dollars,” he said.

Mr. Badjie attributed the high cost and the pace of work to stringent requirements imposed by the Confederation of African Football, which he said effectively amount to constructing a new facility rather than carrying out minor repairs.

“If people are saying the money is a lot and still they did not see anything and there is no stadium still, it is because what the stadium requires is many, and what CAF is asking for is like building a new stadium,” he said.

The national stadium has been closed to international matches since it failed to meet CAF standards, forcing The Gambia to host home games abroad. Officials say the ongoing renovation is intended to bring the facility back into compliance and restore international football to the country.