By Fatou Sillah
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, The Gambia’s Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, revealed that while the government is contemplating the construction of a new national stadium, it is not currently a top priority.
In an interview with West Coast Radio, Dr. Ceesay explained that, although the stadium is part of the government’s long-term plans, more pressing national needs must be addressed first.
Dr. Ceesay also discussed the temporary lifting of the ban imposed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on The Gambia’s national stadium. Previously prohibited from hosting international matches, the stadium is now eligible to hold games on the condition that certain criteria are met.
Dr. Ceesay confirmed that The Gambia will host two World Cup qualifier matches—against Algeria on May 3 and another in September—provided the government fulfills the required conditions to keep the stadium eligible for future games.
During a question-and-answer session, a listener raised concerns about the unbanning of the stadium, suggesting that, in the 21st century, The Gambia should have already developed a modern facility. The listener also questioned whether The Gambia could realistically co-host the Africa Cup of Nations with a stadium that holds fewer than 30,000 spectators, calling this a lack of progress in the sports sector.
In response, Dr. Ceesay acknowledged that while The Gambia’s sports sector has made significant progress, the country’s focus on broader development goals remains paramount. He pointed to the nation’s recent qualifications for major tournaments in volleyball, basketball, and football as evidence of positive strides in sports.“I mean obviously it’s based on need, the government is thinking of building a new stadium but for now it is not a top priority,” He Said.
The minister added that they have other priorities like road infrastructure, hospitals, schools and other developmental infrastructure.
“We have other priorities like infrastructure, road infrastructure, hospitals, schools and other social interventions, so I mean it is in our plans, but it is not a top priority,” he said.
Another listener pointed out that Senegal managed to renovate four stadiums within three years through bilateral agreements with China. He noted that China had also provided The Gambia with the Independence Stadium and questioned, “Why was that option not explored? It probably would have saved us from this huge spend,” He commented.
In response, the minister said, “Well, sometimes desires are not met by reality. I don’t know why that didn’t happen, I am pretty much sure that if that option was on the table, the government would have happily used that option, But I don’t know why that didn’t happen. There could be many reasons for that,” He responded.