Promise Tracker: Have Promises of Stadium Renovation Completion been Met by July 2024?
Minister Badjie (in vest) at Stadium © MoYS
By Harry Chris Faye
Recent news that the Scorpions will play their next home match against Comoros at the Independence Stadium has given Gambians hope to finally enjoy home matches after a two year ban by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
However, our findings indicate that the Independence Stadium may not be approved in time for the next home match on 15th November, 2024.
Claim: During a press conference on 5th June, 2024, held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, the Minister of Youth and Sports (MoYS) Hon Bakary Badjie promised that “we expect the [renovation] work to finish by the end of July, and we don’t anticipate any delay”. Badjie was refering to works being done at the Independence Staduim in BakaU.
Factcheck:
Since the CAF ban in March 2022, the Scorpions have played all home matches abroad. To verify if the Gambia has played any home matches in the country as promised, our reporter has monitored the country’s home and away matches which is detailed below.
The table above shows The Gambia’s football fixtures results verified with three online sports websites. The information shows that a month after the Minister’s declaration, the Scorpions played their next home match at Morocco’s Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium in El Jadida, loosing two – nil to Tunisia on 8th September 2024.
The following month, the Scorpions played another home match in the same stadium, defeating Madagascar one – nil on 14th October, 2024.
To get first hand information about the status of the Stadium, our reporter attended the Mansa Kunda Town Hall meeting. During his speech, Hon Bakary Badjie issued a second promise that his Ministry is “hopeful that by the end of this [October 2024], the Independence Stadium will be done”. Minister Badjie also added that “we’re hopeful that even by the end of this week everything will be done and we’ll be left with the finishing touches”.
Our reporter asked the Hon Minister to clarify if the Stadium will be ready by the end of October or the following week according to his statement, and if he could provide a specific date as well as explain the reasons for the delays in getting approval. But the Minister did not provide a specific date.
This prompted another journalist to question the Minister if the Scorpions will play their next home match in the country against Madagascar on 14th October, 2024. In response, Minister Badjie noted that “we are taking the final pictures on Tuesday” which he said will be sent to CAF. After this is done “CAF will make a determination as to whether they are ok with the pictures and the videos and decide to give it a pass or they would decide to send an officer to come on the ground and inspect”.
Hon Bakary Badjie at the Mansa Kunda Townhall © Ministry of Information
After playing another home match in Morocco, news started circulating on 24th October 2024 that the Independence Stadium has been approved by CAF and that the next home match will be played in the country. This prompted our journalist to contact MoYS for clarification.
Information received by our medium indicates that a schedule dated 24th October 2024 was first received by the authorities suggesting that the next home match will be played at the Independence Stadium. Our inquires have unearthed a letter from CAF issued to the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) 2 hours after the schedule, highlighting that “until a CAF independent stadium inspection is conducted at the independence stadium, the facility remains unapproved for CAF or FIFA matches”.
The letter further instructed The Gambia to “indicate [its] preferred choice of venue from the list of CAF approved stadiums for the upcoming CHAN and AFCON qualifiers”.
It’s important to note that Minister Badjie has highlighted that CAF requires 45 days after approval for a match to go ahead. Speaking to Citizens Network Gambia (CNG) on 26th July 2024, Minister Badjie explained that “in terms of whether we play here in September or not, I guess it’s obvious. CAF requires that you must give the stadium [approval] 45 days before the match. Because we’re playing in the first week of September, the 45 days was actually last week”.
Question: 1:11:29 to 1:11:47
Answer: 1:15:18 to 1:18:58
Another journalist: 1:30:02 to 1:30:59
Verdict:
Given the latest information provided by the Minister and reviewing the fixtures and results list for The Gambia’s Scorpions it can be seen that the Gambia has played two home matches away in Morocco’s Ben M’Hamed El Abdi Stadium (El Jadida) against Tunisia and Madagascar.
In light of this, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon Bakary Badjie failed to keep his promise that The Gambia will play home matches in August 2024.
In addition, the Minister’s latest promise at the Mansa Kunda Townhall indicates that the Stadium will be ready by the end of October 2024. This has gained more traction with news published widely in the media and government platforms that the Scorpions will play their next home match against Comoros on 15th November 2024 at the Independence Stadium.
A statement issued by the MoYS on Friday, November 1st, highlights that "the state of the playing pitch requires improvements to enable hosting of Category 3 Matches. Subsequently, the Gambia cannot host the match of 15th November 2024, at the stadium."
Based on our findings, this was a Promise Failed.
This Promise Tracker was first published on FactCheckGambia.org in the link: https://factcheckgambia.org/promise-meter-have-promises-of-stadium-renovation-completion-been-met-by-july-2024/
