The Senegalese Head of State, His Excellency Macky Sall, presided at the ceremony to launch the construction of the Senegal stadium, located in the city of Diamniadio, on February 20, 2020. Speaking on the occasion, the president said: “After the Dakar Arena, a 15,000-seating capacity multifunctional sports complex, the Stade du Sénégal, where work is launched today, Diamniadio is becoming a major sports centre in Africa,” he noted, as he launched construction works for the facility.
The President of the Republic said he had the idea to build the stadium during a lunch meeting with FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, the day after the match Senegal versus Poland at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. According to the Senegalese Head of State, this “major sports facility” will be built in accordance with FIFA and International Olympic Committee standards. It shall be measured against the “inestimable value” of Senegalese youth and what sport represents in Senegal.
President Macky Sall gave assurances that the Stade du Sénégal will first host the competitions of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) billed for 2022 in Senegal. He has asked the general manager of the Turkish company in charge of the works, to do everything possible for the stadium to be inaugurated as scheduled, on 20 August 2021. He also reasserted his government’s commitment to boost and modernise the country’s sports infrastructure. His “ambition”, he said, is to provide Senegal with modern sports facilities capable of promoting the country’s talents.
