Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Sports in collaboration with China Aid has today, February 25, 2022, launched the rehabilitation work of the National Stadium in Freetown. The project which is worth USD 40 million will facilitate the rehabilitation and extension of the country’s only national stadium, work is expected to be completed in two years. According to the Minister of Sports, Ibrahim Nyelenkeh, upon completion of the project, the stadium will be managed through a public-private partnership. He announced the rehabilitation of the stadium in January this year, as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has banned the stadium from hosting international matches saying it does not meet their standards. However, the stadium was constructed in 1979 and has been the main venue for all senior international matches and entertainment events in Sierra Leone since its construction. Therefore, upon the beginning of the rehabilitation work, all sporting and entertainment activities were suspended at the stadium. The stadium was last renovated in 2017, about 950 chairs were installed in the presidential pavilion, as part of the stadium’s upgrade to international standards. Before now, Sierra Leoneans from across the country have called for the rehabilitation of the country’s only national stadium, as it has been used several times for different occasions. Many of their concerns were for the government to act fast so that accidents and other destruction will be avoided since the stadium is old
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