Badjie expressed appreciation to Gambians for their patience throughout the five-year period during which the stadium was unavailable for international football.
“For five years, the stadium has not been working, but we are happy and thankful to Gambians for their patience throughout this journey, and to our President and his government for helping, as well as everyone who played a role up to today.”
Badjie acknowledged the numerous challenges encountered during the rehabilitation process, describing them as part of the difficulties involved in restoring a major national sports facility.
He explained that one of the major challenges was the lack of detailed technical documentation and local expertise surrounding the stadium, which was constructed in the early 1980s and opened in 1984.
According to Badjie, when the facility was handed over to The Gambia, there were no comprehensive master plans or floor plans available to guide future rehabilitation and maintenance.
Another issue highlighted by the Minister is CAF’s one-mile rule, which affects the movement and parking of vehicles around stadiums. Because many people live close to the Independence Stadium, authorities could not fully apply the rule.
However, following CAF’s inspection, it was agreed that vehicles would have to be parked approximately 500 metres away from the stadium during international matches.
Minister Badjie urged supporters and all stadium users to comply with the regulations, stressing that the temporary approval comes with responsibilities.
He said having the Scorpions back home will provide a major boost in terms of fan support and expressed hope that The Gambia can take advantage of home matches to secure positive results.
At the same time, the Minister warned that the use of the stadium will be closely regulated to protect the facility from damage.
“People coming to the stadium should be aware that anything you do in the stadium will be seen.
We are not threatening anyone, and we don’t want to take anyone to the police or court, but we also will not allow people to spoil what we have spent on the stadium.”
Badjie appealed to supporters to understand why they are coming to the stadium and to treat the facility with respect.
He apologized to Gambians for the long wait, emphasizing that the delays were never intentional.
Badjie reminded the public that the Independence Stadium belongs to the Gambian people, while calling on everyone to protect it so that it can serve the country for many years to come—until another modern national stadium is eventually built.
Source: Star TV
