Stade de la paix de Bouaké – stadium description

When was the stadium in Bouaké built?

The stadium in Bouaké, the second largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, was opened in 1984. The venue was built for the 1984 African Cup of Nations, which was held in the country for the first time and was one of the two arenas for the tournament (alongside Stade Félix-Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan).

The new stadium was built near the city center, next to the old municipal stadium. The facility had an athletics track, surrounded on all sides by stands that could accommodate around 25,000 spectators. After the African Cup of Nations, the facility was used by local clubs, and the national team also played there from time to time.

How did Bouaké Stadium get its name?

On July 30 and 31, 2007, a 'fire of peace' ceremony ('flamme de la paix') took place at the stadium, symbolically marking the end of the Ivorian crisis that had been going on since 2002. The stadium is henceforth known as the 'stadium of peace' ('stade de la paix').

When was Stade de la paix de Bouaké extended?

How did the expansion of Stade de la paix de Bouaké come about?

In 2014, Côte d'Ivoire was awarded the hosting of the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time (the competition was planned to be played in the country in 2021, but after subsequent reshuffling of the hosts of several consecutive editions, Côte d'Ivoire was eventually awarded the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which, contrary to its name, will be held in January and February 2024). Bouaké Stadium was designated as one of the six venues for the tournament.

In preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations, a major expansion of the venue was planned. The plan was to significantly enlarge the stands by adding additional rows on the outside, as well as fully roofing the auditorium, upgrading and modernizing the entire facility. The capacity of the stadium after reconstruction was to increase from 25,000 to 40,000 spectators.

How did the expansion of Stade de la paix de Bouaké proceed?

Work started in June 2019, with the investment being carried out by companies from Portugal: studio Quadrante created the design and Mota-Engil was the main contractor. The cost of the extension was 54 billion CFA francs. Initial plans called for completion in May 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant delays. Although the facility reached a stage of near-completion in the first half of 2022, it was not finally commissioned until March 2023.

When did the opening of Stade de la paix de Bouaké after the expansion take place?

The official opening of the expanded stadium took place on March 4, 2023, and was inaugurated by Sports Minister Claude Paulin Danho, accompanied by other senior officials. On the same day, two Ivorian Ligue 1 matches were also played at the venue. On March 24, 2023, the country's national team played at the stadium for the first time since the expansion, beating Comoros 3:1 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.

What does Stade de la paix de Bouaké look like?

Stade de la paix has an athletics track, which is surrounded by single-tier covered stands capable of holding 40,000 spectators after the expansion. The stands are fitted with seats in the colors of the national flag. The main stand with boxes and backup area is located on the west side. From the outside, the stands are sheltered by a decorative façade and there are numerous parking spaces around the venue.