Mandela National Stadium to host two Uganda Premier League matches next week
According to the announcement posted on the FUFA official X account, the two games will serve as part of the test events before the official re-opening of the stadium.
The Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) has announced that Mandela National Stadium at Namboole will be hosting a double header on May 1, 2024.
This will involve two football matches under the Uganda premier league, where BULL FC will be hosting Vipers Sports Club and KCCA FC taking on Sports Club Villa.
According to the announcement posted on the FUFA official X account, the two games will serve as part of the test events before the official re-opening of the stadium.
“The test events are some of the requirements by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), before the greenlight to host international games is granted,” said FUFA.
It should be noted that two weeks back, the Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among, tasked the State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang to provide accountability for the Shs97 billion , that was spent on renovations of Mandela National Stadium- Namboole.
Among issued the directive during the plenary after the Opposition Chief Whip John Baptist Nambeshe, read the CAF inspection recent report which indicated that Namboole’s current renovation works, were below the required standard and subsequently were not approved for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers late in June.
According to the report, the stadium had unfinished areas of the exterior and interior.
“Based on the pre-inspection it is noted that the works in several areas of the exterior and interior zones of the stadium are still in progress and not yet complete, and according to Caf stadium approval procedures”, reads part of the report.
Uganda Cranes has been homeless since March this year, after St. Mary’s Stadium Kitende, which was Uganda Cranes’ home ground for two years since CAF blacklisted Mandela National Stadium in 2020, also failed to meet the CAF requirements to host the Uganda Cranes’ matches.
The Continental Soccer Governing body found the pitch, toilets, pavilion, and dressing rooms at the Mandela Stadium in an appalling state, hence declaring it unfit to host any continental and international match and recommending an overhaul which the government initiated in February 2022, with the contract given to the UPDF Engineering Brigade.
Although Uganda Cranes had found solace in St Mary’s stadium Kitende which is privately owned by Lawrence Mulindwa, CAF also disqualified it in 2021 citing issues of safety and security control, among others.
