On, Tuesday, 22nd February, 2022, Senegal launched their new magnificent Diamniadio Olympic Stadium with a big festival that included several heads of state.

 

The stadium was built in 18 months by the Turkish construction company Summa. The construction covered an area of 88,000 square metres (22 acres). The contract type was a design–build turnkey project.The cost of the construction was reported to be 156 billion CFA francs ($270 million); and this place will be the host stadium for the 2026 Youth Olympics – the first Olympics in Africa.

As part of the big festival, Senegal legends including the core 2002 World Cup squad like Aliou Cisse, Fadiga, El Hadji Diouf that mesmerized the world played against African legends including Eto’o, Drogba, Kalusha, Baffoe, M’Boma, Amokachi, Radebe, Wael Gomaa, Gyan etc., were present.

 

The 50,000-seater stadium is the country’s only venue certified to host international football.

 

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Senegal’s President Macky Sall, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, among others.

The venue is named in honor of former President Abdoulaye Wade. Sall said during the naming of the stadium was a “tribute to the multidimensional, intellectual, pan-Africanist politician.”

“This beautiful infrastructure – dedicated to young people – is an invitation to continue our path towards excellence,” Sall said.

 

“It’s a source of pride to have a stadium as beautiful as this Senegal. The country needed it to restore its footballing image,” said one fan, Bamba Dieng, 24.

 

“I’ve never seen such a great stadium. I hope it will be properly maintained so that it lasts for a very long time,” said Ibou Ngom, 29.

 

Mbaye Jacques Diop, a communications advisory at the ministry of sports, said the project was part of a program to make Dakar a “sporting hub” for Africa.

 

It would mean an end to matches transferred to Asia because the continent lacked infrastructure, he said.

 

The multi-purpose stadium has joined the likes of Leopard Sengor stadium which has been undergoing renovations.

 

“This stadium fills a gap in the infrastructure of international level. Senegal was struggling to organize major competitions because the Léopold Sédar Senghor stadium is being renovated,” said Galo Bâ, the General Manager of the public infrastructure management company in the urban pole of Diamniadio.

 

Opening Match

Member of the “2002 Golden Generation” that played the first final of the Africa Cup of Nations and qualified Senegal for the first FIFA World Cup in their history, the Legend Khalilou Fadiga traced a new furrow on Tuesday.

Fadiga waited for the inauguration of the new Diamniadio stadium (Stade du Sénégal) named after the former Senegalese head of state, Abdoulaye Wade (2000-2012) to score the first goal on this playing ground with a shot outside the box area.

 

According to CAF, the Senegal’s Number 10 also known as “Le Gaucher magique (the Magic Left-hander)” by the Senegalese media, chose his time and his day to open the scoring in a Legends match in the presence of the highest personalities.

History will also remember that on this 22.02.2022, the African Legends came in droves led by captain Austin Jay Jay Okocha, (Nigeria). And they equalized later on the game.

 

The team of African Legends was enhanced by the presence of top figures as Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) and Didier Drogba (Cote d’Ivoire).

 

40,000 people made the trip to attend the inauguration of the brand new stadium.

 

The CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe congratulated the Senegalese authorities, specially President Macky Sall, for having offered this jewel to the youth of his country and recalled the final of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

 

“The victory of Sadio Mané and his teammates is the victory of African football,” said President Motsepe.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino sounded the same trumpet of thanks to the Senegalese authorities stating that this new stadium “is a real gem, one of the most beautiful stadiums I have seen, not only in Africa, but in the whole world”‘, he said, under the nourished ovations of the public.

Macky Sall reaffirmed his government’s desire to pursue the policy of rehabilitation of sports infrastructure in Dakar and in the regions.

 

“In addition to this gem, we have the ongoing rehabilitation program for the Léopold Sédar Senghor, Demba Diop, Iba Mar Diop, Ely Manel Fall de Diourbel, Lamine Gueye de Kaolack and Aline Sitoé Diatta de Ziguinchor stadiums,” said Macky Sall.

 

The first big competitive match at the Stadium will be held on March 29.

 

Senegal has launched a program to refurbish its stadiums before Dakar hosts the Summer Youth Olympics in 2026.

Meanwhile, as at February, 2022, the Top Ten Stadiums in West Africa are;

📸1: Diamniadio Stadium, Senegal 🇸🇳
📸2: Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Nigeria 🇳🇬
📸3: Moshood Abiola Stadium, Nigeria 🇳🇬
📸4: Ebimpe Stadium, Ivory Coast 🇨🇮
📸5: Tamale Sports Stadium, Ghana 🇬🇭
📸6: Amiesiamaka Stadium, Nigeria 🇳🇬
📸7: Lekan Salami Stadium, Nigeria 🇳🇬
📸8: Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Nigeria 🇳🇬
📸9: Stephen Keshi Stadium, Nigeria 🇳🇬
📸10: Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Nigeria 🇳🇬

Ranking changes when Ivory Coast complete its Stadiums for AFCON 2021 and when Nigeria complete the Ebonyi State Olympic Stadium.