Mozambique constructs first national stadium ahead of 2010

Mozambique hopes to have its first national stadium by the end of the first semester of 2010, since independence. Zimpeto National Stadium is being built at Zimpeto, a suburb 15km from the city centre. The project is a co-operation between Mozambican and Chinese governments. Constructions started in April 2008 and positive progress is being made to meet its targets.

In the past two weeks, a strike about wages led to the death of one of the workers and paralyzed progress. Having settled the differences, work has resumed and all indications are that the project is ahead of  planned schedule. According to a director of works, it is estimated that 20 to 25 % of the work as been executed.

The stadium is expected to have a sitting capacity of about 42,000 with 3 levels. It’ll have a complex with shopping facilities meeting the world standard and is expected to cost the government about $57 million.

Machava Stadium is presently the only stadium hosting national team games. With an estimated 30,000 sitting capacity, the stadium is in fact too small to accommodate the increased number of soccer fans supporting the national team. In every national team soccer match, a chaotic scene is the order of the day as enormous queues to the gates are a real headache. Fans are obliged to get to the stadium 4 hours before kick-off to secure sits before it gets all packed to capacity.

The federation of football always announces that it has issued the number of tickets which comply with the stadium’s capacity. However, people are normally packed inside the stadium like sardines leaving no space to move an inch. Once inside, you can’t even go to the toilet as the passages leading in and out are also occupied. The stadium is actually in an advance state of degradation with the public toilets in a complete mess.

We are hopeful that the new stadium with its highly equipped facilities including a shopping complex will bring satisfaction to all soccer lovers. Good management of this infrastructure is a must if it is to last for long.