President Paul Kagame on Monday, July 1, officially opened the newly refurbished Amahoro Stadium, weeks after renovation works on the facility were completed. ALSO READ: What to know about renovated Amahoro Stadium inauguration The ultramodern stadium, which has been under renovation since mid-2022, now boasts a seating capacity of 45,000 up from the initial 25,000 seats. The ceremony was graced by a host of high-level officials including CAF president Patrice Motsepe, local football governing body (Ferwafa) president Alphonse Munyantwari and Minister of Sports Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju among others. While opening the stadium, Kagame commended Rwandans for their contribution to the stadium's renovation and credited African and world football governing bodies for their inspiration in the process. Let me thank brother Patrice Motsepe of CAF and another brother, FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Both of them inspired us to enhance our sports infrastructure, Kagame said. They have supported Rwanda and other African countries in elevating the standards of African football. At such venues, African children can train and showcase the great talent we have on our continent. Kagame emphasized the importance of world-class sports infrastructures of Amahoro Stadium’s caliber in nurturing local football talent. This will allow us to raise more talent in our country instead of importing them from abroad. People will go where they want, but we will achieve something significant here because of our commitment. Today is a great day for Rwanda and football, and we will continue to improve, the head of state noted. We must work hard and smart so that we are counted among the best on our continent, he added. A fortnight ago, world football governing body, FIFA, approved Amahoro Stadium to host international football events after a thorough inspection by CAF experts. CAF President Patrice Motsepe said, “This is one of the best stadiums in Africa and in the world. We, as Rwandans and Africans, should be proud and thank President Kagame for providing us with such a facility. The next time I come here, I want to see the best of Rwanda team play against the best of Africa. With the available talent and continuous improvement, Rwanda will be one of the top teams on the continent, Motsepe added. Amahoro Stadium was initially scheduled for July 4, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Rwandan Liberation Day, but the Ministry of Sports moved the function to July 1 to ‘avoid scheduling conflicts.’ The ceremony was followed by Amahoro Stadium Inauguration Trophy friendly match between Rwandan champions APR FC and Peace Cup winners Police FC which the former prevailed with a 1-0 win through a lone strike from Gilbert Mugisha.
