The Mandela National Stadium-Namboole has regained its status as a venue for international football matches after receiving clearance from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
This positive development was confirmed by Ahmed Hussein, spokesperson for the Uganda Football Association (FUFA), who announced that CAF had granted the stadium approval to host international fixtures.
The green light follows successful testing with two trial matches at Namboole, which demonstrated that the facility met the necessary standards to hold international events. As a result, the Uganda Cranes will be able to host their upcoming FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Botswana and Algeria on home soil next month. Previously, the national team was forced to play their home games abroad due to the unavailability of a suitable stadium.
This approval comes after extensive negotiations between FUFA and CAF, triggered by a previous inspection report that pointed out several deficiencies at the stadium despite ongoing renovations over the last two years. The report had flagged issues including the need for a relocated media tribunal, an unfinished ceiling, the upgrade of floodlights, improvements to the VVIP section, and a reduction in seating capacity from 40,818 to 38,000 due to visibility concerns caused by structural posts.
In response, Col. Peter Kidemuka, the Project Engineer overseeing the renovation work, assured that most of these concerns were being addressed. He confirmed that the necessary floodlights had been ordered and would be installed soon. Kidemuka guaranteed that the stadium would be fully ready by May 25, 2025, in time for the Uganda Cranes' fixtures.
FUFA had selected two Uganda Premier League matches, including the popular Kampala derby between KCCA FC and SC Villa, as well as a fixture between Bidco FC and Vipers SC, to be played at the stadium as a way to test its readiness. FUFA president Moses Magogo deemed the test matches a success, as the stadium showed its capacity to host top-tier events.
The Uganda Cranes’ return to Namboole will mark the first time they have played at the stadium since November 2019, when it was blacklisted by CAF due to its substandard condition. With this recent CAF clearance, it’s a significant milestone for Ugandan football, allowing the national team to once again play on home turf.
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