Stade du Senegal puts Kenya’s ‘international stadiums’ to shame
An aerial view of Stade du Senegal also known as Abdoulaye Wade Stadium.
What you need to know:
- The atmosphere inside the stadium on Tuesday night was befitting of the occasion.
- A fully-packed stadium was all Aliou Cisse’s charges needed to beat the stubborn Egyptians.
A memorable Tuesday night presented the bliss that is African football in five World Cup qualifiers. Ultimately, five countries punched their tickets to Qatar after some breath-taking action in the return leg matches.
Ghana, Tunisia, Cameroon, Morocco and African champions Senegal will represent the continent in the World Cup planned for November 21 to December 18 this year.
While goals from Thomas Partey and Karl Toko-Ekambi ensured Ghana and Cameroon progressed on away goal rule, it’s the clash between Senegal and Egypt that caught my eye.
The Teranga Lions entered the return leg trailing by the odd goal and Boulaye Dia gave the hosts a dream start with an early goal but there were to be no more.
Just like the Africa Cup of Nations final last month, the tie had to be decided through penalties and it’s Sadio Mane who tellingly secured victory for Senegal in the tense shoot-out.
But the writing was on the wall as soon as Senegal announced the match would be staged at the new Stade du Senegal, also known as Stade Abdoulaye Wade De Diamniadio.
Inaugurated last month, the 50,000-seat facility hosted its first ever match on Tuesday night. It’s now clear why Senegal president Macky Sall described it as “a beautiful den that our valiant lions will celebrate their conquest of Africa and the world" during the inauguration.
The atmosphere inside the stadium on Tuesday night was befitting of the occasion. A fully-packed stadium was all Aliou Cisse’s charges needed to beat the stubborn Egyptians.
Every touch from the men in green and white was greeted by a round of applause from the fans who painted the stadium in yellow, green and red. And the frenzy that followed Mane’s penalty is the dream of any football player all over the world.
Sitting in my living room, I wondered when Kenyan football players and fans would savour such moments in a stadium of such enviable class. Built at a cost of 238 million Euros (Sh30.4 billion), Stade du Senegal took two years to complete.
The facility covers an area of 88,000 square metres and is 40 metres high at its highest point. It’s built on a rectangular plan with rounded corners while its roof is covered with a membrane that protects all the stands against unfavourable weather conditions.
The bowl-shaped auditorium is divided into two tiers. The venue has 50 VIP boxes with a total capacity of 1,500. In addition, it has 1,664 seats in the press stand, 40 entrance gates for easy access and 3,250 parking spaces.
Back home, the Jubilee administration - whose 10-year reign ends in August this year - have reneged on their promise of building five stadiums. Instead, what we have seen are grounds disguised as stadiums through flashy words such as “Complex” and “International” on their names. Wang’uru International Stadium, Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex, Jamhuri Sports Complex, Ruring’u Stadium, Wote Stadium, Kamariny Stadium, Kipchoge Keino stadium…the list goes on and on.
Last October, Confederation of Africa (CAF) had ruled that Kenya does not have a stadium fit to host international matches. What a pity given the “investment” in international stadiums all over the country in the past decade.
Why can’t these funds be aggregated and channeled towards building a stadium or two of Stade du Senegal’s stature? What sports people want is stadium bora, not bora stadium!
Over to you President Uhuru Kenyatta. The clock is ticking but it’s never too late to commission such a project. Legacies are built through such projects.
