In an exclusive interview with The Point Sports on Thursday on the progress of work on the second phase at the Independence Stadium renovation, Mr Faye said work commenced last Monday and will last for 4 months.
He added that the contractors are currently dismantling wall for the expansion of the players tribune and mix zone area.
He also said that the creation of a media centre for press conferences has also been started as well as a media area for the media to report.
“The media tribune which is a requirement for international matches has been moved from the VIP area,” he added.
He went on to say that a new scoreboard will be installed as well as the paining of the stadium for its general beatification.
He further said that work will also include landscaping around the stadium, provision of signages for people to know where to go once they buy their tickets, lifting of the fence for security reasons, rehabilitation of toilets, electricity, among other works.
He noted that once these works are completed, they will be able to invite CAF to do an inspection and hopefully certify the stadium to begin hosting international matches.
The Independence Stadium of The Gambia has been under a ban since February 2022.
The Confederation of African football issued its preliminary inspection report a couple of months ago and said that The Gambia’s only national facility for international matches which was undergoing the first phase of its renovations and remodel still needed adjustments.
According to Mr Faye, it was a “misinterpretation” from CAF to declare the stadium not up to standard because the inspector was invited to The Gambia to look at the ongoing work and not to rate it.
“People were excited that CAF will give us an approval but CAF cannot come and inspect when the work is ongoing,” he stated, saying the work was ongoing when the CAF inspectors visited the Independence Stadium.
However, he said CAF identified certain areas that need to be improved, noting that they are currently working on them and hope that once the work is completed, the stadium will be given a pass for The Gambia to host international matches on home soil.
The stadium manager stated that there will also be a third phase of work to be done at the Independence Stadium but said this will not bar The Gambia from hosting international matches.
He said the third phase of work will involve the installation of floodlights for night games, two training grounds, tracks for athletics as well as an electronic ticket area.
Mr Faye admitted that this phase will be more capital intensive and expensive because the fitting and fixtures of the stadium are still the same since it was built in 1984 by the Chinese.
He urged everyone to protect the stadium hence it is the only one we have that can host international matches.
He also called on the government of The Gambia to continue investing in the stadium until a new stadium is built.
“It has been a very long time that the government did not invest in the stadium until the new government came in in 201. Every 10 years we need to invest in our stadium and consider sports as a priority investment area because national stadiums do not generate revenue,” he further said.
He highlighted that the stadium can be expanded and developed by modern engineers to a modern stadium.
He observed that some stadiums have been in existence since the 1860s and have been transformed to modern stadiums. Therefore, he said Gambia’s stadium can be modernised. According to him, they just need the will.
“The public want the stadium to be approved to be able to watch international football and athletics happen in The Gambia. We also need basketball and volleyball courts which will all help our sports grow. The Gambia’s population is youthful and most of them are in sports,” he also said, while describing sports as a way out of poverty and crime. “Sports is no long a passion but a profession.”
He hailed President Adama Barrow for looking back and investing in the renovation of the independence stadium. He said President Barrow has also assured them that his government will do everything possible for the stadium to be fully renovated.
The capacity of the stadium will be around 15, 000 when completed, he also said.
