By Nenneh Fofanah
Freetown, 19th October, 2026 – Hopes for the long-awaited reopening of the Siaka Stevens National Stadium have suffered another setback, with authorities confirming a new phase of demolition work that is expected to push completion of the rehabilitation project further into the future.
More than four years after the country’s premier sporting facility was closed for renovation, demolition of the concrete slabs in all 21 stands of the main bowl is now underway. The exercise, expected to be completed by December 2026, is intended to pave the way for the installation of plastic seats required to meet FIFA and CAF standards.
The Executive Director of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Mohamed Alphaka Conteh Esq., said the decision to remove the existing concrete slabs was taken by the Chinese supervisory team overseeing the project. According to him, the demolition is necessary before new bases can be cast for the installation of modern seating.
Conteh explained that while the original renovation contract had already been completed, changes in international football regulations meant additional work became necessary before the stadium could be certified to host international matches.
He said the second phase of the project was initially scheduled to commence in late November 2026 but was brought forward following the intervention of President Julius Maada Bio.
“As it is now, this job for the removal [of the concrete slabs] started in August,” he revealed.
Seeking to ease public concerns about another delay, Conteh assured that the procurement of the seats had been synchronized with the demolition works.
“There is no way you can see engineers removing slabs here when all those procurement items are not ready. Once this is done and they fix the new slabs, the next work is to install the seats,” he said.
He acknowledged growing frustration among Sierra Leoneans over the prolonged closure of the stadium and appealed for patience, emphasizing that the rehabilitation is being financed through a grant from the Chinese Government.
“This project here was supported by grants. The Government of Sierra Leone did not pay anything. All we are doing is to ensure we give support to the Chinese for them to deliver this project,” he said.
Conteh maintained that neither the Government of Sierra Leone nor the Chinese contractors should be blamed for the latest delay, arguing that evolving FIFA and CAF requirements necessitated the additional work.
“It was not caused by us nor by the Chinese because they have done their own part as per when they planned this project. But because FIFA and CAF considerations came into play, and it was clear that you can’t renovate a stadium like this and play international matches there,” he said, while appealing to the public to exercise patience.
The Siaka Stevens National Stadium was shut down in February 2022 after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) declared the facility unfit to host international matches. Rehabilitation works were officially launched on 25 February 2022.
More than four years later, Sierra Leone’s main sporting venue remains unavailable, forcing the Leone Stars and other national teams to play home fixtures in neighbouring countries, including Guinea, Liberia and Morocco.
The project has also attracted renewed scrutiny over its cost and scope. Former Sports Minister Ibrahim Nyelenkeh recently claimed on AYV’s On Sunday programme that he successfully lobbied the Chinese Government to include spectator seating in the rehabilitation package, a move he said increased the contract value from US$32 million to US$40 million.
With demolition expected to continue until December, public attention is increasingly shifting toward when the stadium will finally be completed, how much the entire rehabilitation project has cost, and when CAF will be in a position to approve the facility for international matches once again.
