Pioneer Buses Cleared from Namboole Stadium for World Cup Qualifiers

On April 19, 2024, the removal of Pioneer buses from Mandela National Stadium in Namboole began, making way for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying games. The Uganda Cranes have been cleared to use the stadium for their matches against Botswana and Algeria next month, and preparations are in full swing to ensure the stadium meets international standards.

During a recent tour of the facility, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among directed State Minister of Sports Peter Ogwang to collaborate with Mandela National Stadium management to remove the Pioneer buses occupying the premises. This move followed reports that the UPDF Engineering Brigade, responsible for the project, struggled with parking issues due to the buses. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) had also raised concerns about insufficient parking in their April inspection report.

By Wednesday, all Pioneer buses had been removed, significantly increasing the available parking space. Col. Peter Kidemuka, the Project Engineer, confirmed that parking for at least 900 vehicles had been secured. He also noted that the UPDF had reclaimed over 120 of the 128 acres of encroached Namboole land.

CAF’s April report highlighted other necessary improvements, including relocating the media tribunal, finishing the ceiling, upgrading floodlights, enhancing the VVIP section, and reducing seating capacity from 40,818 to 38,000 due to visibility issues. Col. Kidemuka announced that the new floodlights had been ordered and would arrive soon.

To test the stadium’s readiness, FUFA organized two Uganda Premier League matches, which were successful. This led CAF to approve Namboole for the June Cranes games. Despite the approval, renovations continued, with significant enhancements made to the VVIP section, including installing bulletproof mirrors and a new LED scoreboard.

Col. Kidemuka reported that the first phase of renovations is 95% complete, pending only the floodlight installation. The ordered 212 floodlights exceed the previous count by 48. He emphasized the need for regular use of the imported grass on the pitch to maintain its quality, recommending at least two games per week.

Regarding the running track, Kidemuka mentioned they await a report from a world athletics expert before installing a tartan surface both inside the stadium and at the outside training facility. Upon completing the first phase, the contractor will start the second phase, which includes building a new swimming pool and a basketball court, provided funding is available.

This marks the first time Uganda Cranes will host games at Namboole Stadium since November 2019, when it was blacklisted by CAF for being substandard.