Our Stadium of the Year competition has officially begun and will run until March 15. As many as 36 venues are on the list of nominees this year. One of them is Stade du Sénégal located in Diamniadio, Senegal. Take a look at this candidacy and decide whether you want to vote for it in the contest for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Stade du Sénégal nominated for Stadium of the Year 2022!

Football fans in Senegal last year were able to celebrate inauguration of a new state-of-the-art venue. The ultra-modern Stade du Sénégal made it to the list of 36 football arenas nominated for the prestigious Stadium of the Year 2022 award. The competition is the largest public vote of its kind in the world. Since the first edition began, a total of more than 400,000 valid votes have been counted.

This year’s contest is highly varied, with stadiums from as many as six different continents taking part: 18 venues are from Asia, 8 from Europe, 4 from Africa, 3 from North America, 2 from South America and 1 from Australia and Oceania. The competition is fierce, so don't hesitate to cast a vote for the stadium you appreciate the most! If you’re still unsure, you can watch a video covering all 36 nominated stadiums:

Get to know Stade du Sénégal

The stadium is located in the city of Diamniadio, 30 km south-east of the capital. The mentioned municipality is newly established and aims to reduce overcrowding in Dakar. Stade du Sénégal is the new home of the Senegalese national team. Construction began in February 20, 2020. The grand opening took place on February 22, 2022, when FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan added splendour to the ceremony. The presence of Erdogan was not accidental, as the stadium is the result of cooperation between two Turkish companies.

The first match was played on that day. It was an exhibition game, but on the pitch fans admired legends of Senegalese football, who faced no less famous former players from the rest of Africa. The Senegalese team composed of players such as El Hadj Diouf, Boubacar Sarr, Demba Ba, Mamadou Niang, Moussa Sow. The other team consisted among others of players such as Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba, Yaya Touré, Emmanuel Adebayor, Jay-Jay Okocha. The 30-minute sparring game ended with a score of 1-1, and almost 40,000 spectators were present in the stands. Here are some interesting facts about the arena: 

• Stadium alternative name is Stade Abdoulaye Wade De Diamniadio, a gesture of appreciation to the country's former president. 
• The cost of the works amounted to €238 million
• The capacity of the stadium is 50,000
• The facility covers an area of 88,000 square metres and is 40 metres tall at its highest point.

How to vote for the Stadium of the Year 2022?

In order to take part, everyone has to select five stadiums by giving 5 stars to the best one, 4 stars to the second best, 3 stars to the third, 2 stars for the fourth and finally 1 star for the fifth most interesting. It means that you cannot cast your vote for only one stadium - all 5 venues must be included in your form. To vote visit Stadium of the Year 2022, the voting platform which will be open until March 15. To learn more about the nominated stadiums and the voting rules themselves, it is recommended to watch the video: