Construction of CHAN 2016 modern stadium to start mid this year

The construction works of a modern stadium which will host the African Nations Championship (Chan) in 2016 starts mid this year.

 

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Culture, Edward Kalisa said last week, “We have met two potential investors who are willing to fund for the construction of the stadium.”

 

“We have identified and chosen one company [unidentified] and requested them to submit in their financial and technical proposals such that we can come to an agreement and sign a contract. They have until March to do so,”

 

They are two options of which will be involved in the agreement between the investor and the government. The first option is the investor to foot the whole budget for the construction of the stadium as well as oversee its management while the other option is the government and investor partly contributing equally to the construction of the stadium as well as share roles in the management of the stadium.

 

The 40-000 seater stadium will cost between $40 million to $60 million according to Kalisa. It will be constructed in Gahanga sector, Kicukiro district and construction works will last for 18 months.

 

Besides the set to be constructed stadium, other stadia-Amahoro stadium, Nyamirambo

and Rubavu will undergo some expansion so as to meet the standards that are yet to

communicated by the Confederation of African Football [CAF].

 

But Kalisa is also anticipating to have Muhanga and Huye Stadia host the tournament

since most of the work that is being done at the two stadia is already set to be winded

up by mid this year.

 

The government is yet to confirm the exact budget that will be incurred in hosting the

tournament. “We are yet to determine all the resources needed to host this tournament.

 

In a few months, we hope to sit with CAF and determine what is expected from us and

then from the CAF’s side and this is when we will know the exact amount needed to

cover the hosting of the entire tournament.”

 

“We are in the right time and we hope to have gotten the most urgent necessities being

worked on before the end of the year,”

 

Rwanda was picked to host the prestigious event after deliberations by the executive

committee of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) held under the chairmanship of President Issa Hayatou in Lubumbashi, DR Congo in 2011.

 

Hayatou endorsed Rwanda to host the 2016 CHAN edition after the country staged two

successful youth continental tournaments in a space of three years including the 2009

U-20 Africa youth championship as well as the U-17 championship this year.

 

In their maiden debut, Amavubi were knocked out at the group stage of the 2011 CHAN after successive defeats against Senegal (0-2), Tunisia (1-3) and Angola (1-2).

 

This year, Amavubi are bidding to qualify for next year’s edition which will be held in

South Africa such that most of the players can gain experience before hosting the Kigali

edition two years later.

Amavubi Stars will start their campaign in the first round facing the winner between

Eritrea and Ethiopia in June this year.

 

Chan is a competition reserved for players featuring in their respective domestic leagues. Democratic Republic of Congo won the inaugural tournament in Cote d’Ivoire in 2009 while Tunisia won the 2011 edition in Sudan.