Nelson Mandela Stadium
Interior of the stadium in 2023
Former namesBaraki Stadium
LocationPénétrante Rocade Sud (Baraki)-RN 1 (Birkhadem)
Baraki, Algiers, Algeria
Coordinates36°41′36″N 3°07′18″E / 36.69333°N 3.12167°E / 36.69333; 3.12167
OwnerAlgerian Football Federation
OperatorMinistry of Youth and Sport
Capacity40,784 (Association football)
Field size105 by 68 metres (115 by 74 yd)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground20 January 2010
Built2010–2023
Opened7 January 2023
Construction cost€280 million
(€300 million in 2022)
General contractorChina Railway Engineering Corporation
Tenants
Algeria national football team (2023–present)

Nelson Mandela Stadium (Arabic: ملعب نيلسون مانديلا) is a sports stadium located in Baraki, suburb of Algiers, Algeria. The value of construction work for the stadium cost around 300 million euros. With a seating capacity of 40,784, it will be used as an athletics track and be the first stadium in Algeria, to be eligible to host all the matches organized by FIFA including the World Cup and the second stadium entirely covered in Algeria after the new Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran. The Nelson Mandela stadium which extends over a total area of 68 hectares, including 5 hectares built, includes all the infrastructure essential to the organization of international football events.[1]

The sports infrastructure includes ancillary spaces including 50 accommodation rooms including two suites, a car park with a capacity of 6,000 vehicles on an area of 13 ha, a heliport for emergencies or the reception of official delegations, a replica field as well as green spaces. The stadium also has four changing rooms, dressing rooms for the referees, a medical area, a medical analysis laboratory, a hall of honor, a presidential stand, a conference room of 258 seats, a press area, radio and television broadcasting studios, three simultaneous interpretation studios, three 1,000-seat restaurants, fast food areas and other infrastructure.[1]

Stadium

Construction

Artist's rendering.
Construction of the Nelson Mandela Stadium, looking east, taken 24 March 2017.

The work began in 2010 by Chinese company China Railway Engineering Corporation to build Baraki Stadium with a capacity of 40,000 spectators. The stadium was planned for a capacity of 60,000 seats but was reduced to 40,000. The company had been very slow to progress and only 25 percent of the stadium was completed within four years. Work was disrupted again due to non payment. In this time Algeria missed the chance to host the African Cup in 2017. On March 29, the first stage of covering the pitch was completed and the first in charge of the sector was able to see that the internal works concerning the locker rooms and the VIP zones are already well advanced. On October 20 and on an official visit to the Governor of Algiers Abdelkader Zoukh and the Minister of Youth and Sports El Hadi Ould Ali to inspect the works on the stadium the governor gave great criticism to the company responsible for the accomplishment due to the large delay in the works. On May 6, 2022, Achour Djelloul stated for National Radio that they requested to take advantage of Baraki Stadium and that Groupe SERPORT is ready to carry out the remaining works in order to receive it as soon as possible, because Omar Hamadi Stadium has become a danger to the supporters. On October 24, 2022, the Minister of Housing, Urban Planning and the city, Mohamed Tariq Belarbi, launched the smart system during a working visit and an inspection of the stadium. During this visit carried out in the company of a delegation of journalists from the national and foreign press, it was noted the works of the Baraki stadium would be completed in 10 to 15 days, stressing that the date of its official inauguration would be set soon.

Name of the stadium

Nelson Mandela the South African anti-apartheid who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

On 18 October 2016, the chairman of the Algerian Football Federation, Mohamed Raouraoua, said the new Baraki stadium will carry the name of the late Abdelhamid Kermali, the former coach of the Algerian national football team, who lead the Fennecs (their nick-name) to win the 1990 African Cup of Nations. Raouraoua said during a lengthy interview he conducted with the Algerian television, that Abdelhamid Kermali left his mark in the history of Algerian football, as a player, but especially as a coach, since he granted Algeria, the only title yet, which was the reason the Algerian Football Federation choose his name to immortalize him with this stadium, which will be a spherical masterpiece after its launch.[2] However, on December 20, 2022, the Minister of Youth and Sports announced that the country's supreme authorities had decided to name Baraki Stadium after Nelson Mandela the South African anti-apartheid hero. He continued to say that Mandela had an intimate, almost fusional relationship with Algeria, which he called his second homeland. He continued that Mandela said that “the Algerian Army made me a man”, to show his gratitude to Algeria, it is therefore logical that the Algerian authorities wanted to pay tribute to him by giving his name to this new stadium in the capital.[3][4] On January 12, 2023, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune officially inaugurated the stadium, in the presence of the grandson of Nelson Mandela, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe.[5]

Handover and opening

On January 7, 2023, the first match was held between Algeria A' and Ghana A', and the first official match was in the opening of the 2022 African Nations Championship between Algeria A' and Libya A'. Before the start of the match, Djahid Zefizef President of the Algerian Football Federation, and the grandson of Nelson Mandela Mandla Mandela, and Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football, delivered speeches and the session was officially opened by Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane. Also attending many African football stars, namely Emmanuel Adebayor, Karim Haggui, Rabah Madjer, Asamoah Gyan and Jay-Jay Okocha.[6] and the presence of the Algerian international star Soolking, the rapper revealed that he will perform his most famous songs in Medley, with 3 songs including Suavemente and with Dadju where they performed the song Meleğim.[7]

Tenants and events

2022 African Nations Championship

Date Local time Team No. 1 Result Team No. 2 Round
13 January 202320:00 Algeria1–0 LibyaGroup A
14 January 202314:00 Ethiopia0–0 MozambiqueGroup A
17 January 202317:00 Mozambique3–2 LibyaGroup A
17 January 202320:00 Algeria1–0 EthiopiaGroup A
21 January 202320:00 Mozambique0–1 AlgeriaGroup A
22 January 202320:00 Uganda1–3 Ivory CoastGroup B
27 January 202317:00 Algeria1–0 Ivory CoastQuarter-finals
31 January 202320:00 Senegal1–0 MadagascarSemi-finals
4 February 202320:30 Algeria0–0 (4–5 pen.) SenegalFinal

2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Date Local time Home Result Away Round
23 March 202322:00 Algeria2–1 NigerGroup F

2023 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations

Date Local time Team No. 1 Result Team No. 2 Round
29 April 202320:00 Algeria2–0 SomaliaGroup A
30 April 202314:00 Senegal1–0 CongoGroup A
2 May 202317:00 Algeria0–3 SenegalGroup A
2 May 202320:00 Congo1–1 SomaliaGroup A
5 May 202320:00 Congo1–1 AlgeriaGroup A
10 May 202317:00 Senegal5–0 South AfricaQuarter-finals
11 May 202320:00 Nigeria1–2 Burkina FasoQuarter-finals
19 May 202322:00 Senegal2-1 MoroccoFinal

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Date Local time Home Result Away Round
16 November 202317:00 Algeria3–1 SomaliaGroup G

Transport connections

The stadium is located next to the east–west highway that connects eastern and western Algeria, and this arena is located only 10 km from Houari Boumediene International Airport, which makes it an easy destination for foreign teams that come to the country to play in it.

Football matches

The stadium will host national and international matches. It was inaugurated by a friendly international game between Algeria A' and Ghana A' on 7 January 2023.

Date Local time Team No. 1 Result Team No. 2
7 January 202317:00 Algeria0–0 Ghana

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Mise en service du système intelligent du stade de Baraki d'Alger". APS. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  2. ↑ "ملعب براقي سيكون جوهرة حقيقية وسيخفف الضغط علي ملاعب العاصمة". adiyaronline. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  3. ↑ "Stade de Baraki : L'infrastructure portera bien le nom de Nelson Mandela". dzfoot.com. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  4. ↑ "Le stade de Baraki portera bien le nom de Nelson Mandela (officiel)". algerie360.com. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  5. ↑ "CHAN 2023 : Le Stade Nelson Mandela officiellement inauguré". January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Des légendes africaines invitées à l'ouverture". El Moudjahid. January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Cérémonie d'ouverture du Chan : Soolking en guest star !". Lapatrienews.dz. January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
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Events
Preceded by African Nations Championship
Final Venue
2022		 Succeeded by
TBD
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