Stade Charles Konan Banny – stadium description

How did the construction of a new stadium in the Ivorian capital happen?

In September 2017, the Ivorian government launched an international tender for the construction of a new multi-purpose stadium in the country's legal capital, Yamoussoukro. The construction of the new stadium is part of the government's plans to develop the country's sports infrastructure, although the main boost to its construction came when Ivory Coast was given the right to host the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (after later reshuffling the hosts of several consecutive editions, Ivory Coast is finally set to host the event in 2023).

When did the construction of the new stadium in Yamoussoukro start?

There were 45 bidders for the contract, and the winner was a French consortium led by Sogea-Satom (a VINCI Construction subsidiary), with participation from Egis, Baudin Chateauneuf and Alcor. The design of the new stadium was prepared by the SCAU architecture studio. The contract was signed on March 1, 2018 and the works started in April of the same year, although the official groundbreaking ceremony, attended among others by Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly, took place on October 19, 2018.

When was the Stade de Yamoussoukro inaugurated?

The stadium was originally scheduled to open as early as 2020, but progress was slowed somewhat by the COVID-19 pandemic. The venue reached a stage of near completion in the summer of 2021, with the national team's World Cup qualifying matches scheduled for the autumn of that year. However, a report by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) found infrastructural shortcomings, mainly in terms of security, and the matches had to be moved elsewhere (due to renovations at other national venues, they were held at the Stade de l'Amitié in Benin's capital, Cotonou).

Conditional approval of the stadium from CAF was finally obtained in May 2022 and on June 3, 2022 the venue was inaugurated on the occasion of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Zambia, won by the hosts 3:1. The construction of the venue cost 47 billion CFA francs. The new stadium is the largest sports venue in the country's capital, which, although known for the largest Christian church in the world, has not had a representative sports facility until now. The stadium will be one of six arenas for Ivory Coast's upcoming Africa Cup of Nations football tournament in the summer of 2023.

The facility was initially known as Stade de Yamoussoukro. In April 2023, it was decided to name it after Charles Konan Banny, the former Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire, who died in 2021 at COVID-19.

What does the Stade de Yamoussoukro look like?

The stadium has a tartan athletics track, which is surrounded by a ring of stands. The pitch is equipped with a hybrid turf. The main stand, with facilities, offices, changing rooms, VIP area, press area, etc., has two storeys and is located on the west side. The structure has been dug into the basin, so that the crown of the first level of the auditorium is at the height of the surrounding terrain, and most of the stands (apart from the main stand in the west) have been supported on slopes. The seats in the east stand have the colours of the Ivorian flag, while in the other stands they are blue. The capacity of the stadium is 20 000 spectators.

Two entrances to the arena in the corners on the west side separate the main stand from the rest of the auditorium. However, all stands are covered by a single roof. Floodlights have been placed under the canopy, supported by two masts on the eastern side. Two LED screens have been installed on the arches. Around the stands, small one-storey buildings with catering facilities and toilets have been placed. The entire area around the stadium (24.66 hectares) has been transformed as part of the project, including the creation of numerous parking spaces.