The country’s biggest football arena was banned from hosting home matches in 2022 after failing to meet CAF requirements.
The Gambia will play against Comoros Islands in their fifth qualifier match of the 2025 Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations on 15 November 2024 at the Independence Stadium.
The Scorpions currently sit 3rd place in Group A of the continent’s biggest football fiesta qualifiers with 5 points after four group matches.
According to minister for Youth and Sports Bakary Y. Badjie, they received a letter from CAF to the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) and were notified that the Independence Stadium in Bakau has been restored in the CAF list of venues that qualifies to host international matches, and the stadium has been designated as venue for the country’s 2025 Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations match against Comoros on 15 November.
‘‘This is after the submission of photos and a report by the CAF License Officer a week ago,” he said elatedly. “We are glad to have achieved this milestone of bringing back our home games at the stadium.’’
The Youth and Sports minister thanked the general public for their patience over the last two years as they were working hard to complete renovation at the stadium.
The last time The Gambia played home was on March 25, 2021 when she defeated Angola 1- 0. After which, CAF banned the stadium from hosting international matches with other 22 countries in Africa in February 2022.
