Rwanda launched into the battle of infrastructure to organize the CAN

Rwandan President Paul Kagame (left) and FIFA President Gianni Infantino inaugurate Kigali's Pelé Stadium. March 15, 2023. REUTERS - JEAN BIZIMANA

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This week, Rwanda was the first African country to host an elective congress of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. An event that saw the Italian-Swiss Gianni Infantino re-elected, but also showed the ability of the African country to organize major events. Next step, the CAN, but first we have to win the infrastructure game.

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With our correspondent in Kigali, Eddy Sabiti

Jackhammers, concrete grinders, this is the atmosphere that has prevailed at the Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, for six months. With a current capacity of 25,000 places, it will increase to 45,000 by the end of the work planned for 2024. A stadium to FIFA standards, according to Nshimiyimana Harouna, engineer at Rwanda Housing Authority: "The stadium will meet all FIFA requirements in terms of visibility for spectators, but also regarding the location of cameras to judge offsides of football matches. There may also be other disciplines, such as rugby or athletics.

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Rwanda regularly hosts major sporting events, such as the annual cycling tour or the Basket Africa League. For football, Rwanda dreams of being able to organize an African Cup of Nations in the medium term. This requires the development of quality infrastructure.

Paul Kagame: "Following Morocco's example

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The modernization of the Amahoro National Stadium after the Huye stadium in the south, where the national team currently plays these matches, or the construction of the Kigali Arena with a capacity of 10,000 seats, mark Rwanda's desire to invest first in sports infrastructure, before applying for the organization of major sporting events. Paul Kagame, the Rwandan president, talks about these investments and cites Morocco as an example: "We invest a lot in football, but we are not yet where we would like to be. We must continue on this path, follow good examples, such as that of Morocco, which made us so proud at the last World Cup. »

Rwanda is also a partner, through its sponsorship, of major clubs, such as PSG and Arsenal. But for the moment, the results on the pitch are still dragging, Rwanda having participated only in a final phase of the African Cup in 2004, in Tunisia.

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  • Rwanda
  • CAN
  • Football
  • Sports