Rwanda President Paul Kagame officially inaugurated the newly refurbished Amahoro Stadium on Monday, July 1st, marking a momentous occasion for Rwandan sports.
Kagame, who was accompanied by the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe opened the modern 45,000-seat facility, which was initially scheduled to be unveiled on July 4th to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Rwandan Liberation Day.
However, the stadium was opened two days earlier to “avoid scheduling conflicts,” according to the Ministry of Sports of Rwanda.
The inauguration event featured a friendly match between the 2023/24 Rwanda Premier League champions APR FC and the Peace Cup winners, Police FC.
In a closely contested encounter, APR emerged victorious by a solitary goal, lifting the “Amahoro Inauguration Cup” in front of a crowd of over 40,000 enthusiastic fans.
During the ceremony, President Kagame expressed Rwanda’s commitment to developing the necessary sports infrastructure that can nurture talent and propel the country and the continent to claim their rightful share of the multibillion-dollar sports industry.
He also thanked the CAF President and FIFA President Gianni Infantino for inspiring them to put up the state-of-the-art facility.
“I would like to thank the President of CAF, my brother, Patrice Motsepe, together with another brother, President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, the two inspired us to put up a good sporting facility for football like this one,” Kagame said.
“They have done many things to support Rwanda and other African countries and, of course, beyond, to raise football through availing this kind of facility so that our young people can have a place to develop and exercise the huge talent we have on our continent.”
Kagame further challenged the youth to seize the opportunity provided by the Amahoro Stadium, urging them to “work hard” and “work smart” to be counted among the best on the African continent.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe commended Rwanda for its vision and commitment to building what he described as one of the best stadiums on the continent.
He expressed his eagerness to return to the stadium to witness Rwanda take on one of the continent’s football powerhouses in the near future.
With the inauguration of the Amahoro Stadium, East Africa now boasts of three FIFA-licensed stadiums approved to host international matches, together with Uganda’s Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, and Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The mega facility is at the centre of Rwanda’s “sports city,” which also includes the BK Arena, the refurbished Petit Stade, and the Olympic Gymnasium, as well as various training grounds and courts.
Additionally, the Zaria Courts project, an urban hospitality and recreation hub, is nearing completion.
CAF’s inspection and approval of the Amahoro Stadium paves the way for the country to host high-profile international football events, with the first scheduled to be the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in September.
