Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The leadership of South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) has said that Juba National Stadium need additional 2.8 million U.S. dollars to complete construction, adding the USD 5 million given by FIFA was not enough to complete the Project.
Augustino Maduot Parek the president of SSFA said the previous administration, while signing agreement with constructors, failed to include certain elements of the work.
“The previous administration while signing agreement didn’t include certain things such as the fence, Septic tank and the Flood lights,” said Augustino. The president also stated that the location for the planned septic tank is not safe for fans and that they have asked the constructor to relocate it.
“We realized where the constructor had placed the Septic tank is close to the entry that fans use to get into the stadium so, we suggested it should be relocated,” he said.
Regarding the floodlights, the SSFA boss said the previous administration intended to reinstall the lights of the former stadium which are not up to FIFA standard.
“The previous administration I think were intending to put back the previous lights and didn’t include them in the plan but those lights are not up to FIFA standard, so we shall have to bring new lights,” he said.
Mr. Augustino said for all the requirements to be in place, the association needs to raise $2.8 million for the work to be completed. He said his administration is in discussion with world soccer governing body (FIFA) to acquire a loan in order to complete the works at the stadium.
“We are trying to discuss with FIFA if they can help us with a loan so that we can complete the works on the stadium,” Maduot said.
Maduot revealed that, there was no safety tanks for Stadium, enough quality chairs for the football fans and security lights with solar energy at side of the Stadium being included into the previous project.
He said, the Vice President for Infrastructure Cluster Taban Deng Gai who is a supervisor for the Project and the current SSFA leadership decided to loan 2.8 Million USD in consultation with FIFA to complete the Construction of Juba Stadium.
“We want to assure the public that, the delay of Juba stadium completion was due to other facilities that was not included by previous designers. These facilities are; safety tanks, enough standard chairs for the spectators and security lights at side of stadium,” he said.
“We in leadership of SSFA in consultation with Vice President in charge of Infrastructure Cluster and FIFA thought it was wise to loan additional 2.8 million USD to complete the construction of Juba stadium”, he added.
However, the SSFA President Maduot last year in July inspected Juba Stadium accompanied by the Board of Directors and Local Football Association (LFA) officials and Engineers team from both FIFA and GS Company to supervise the work.
In his statement, he appreciated GS Construction Company contractors and FIFA Civil Engineers for the well-done job. Adding that, the Stadium designed was not complete and this will delay the construction.
“We are happy, I want to tell the public that, the seven miles Juba stadium was not having other designed which planed by initial designers. This may delay the completion of Juba Stadium. There is communication going on with FIFA in order to consider the other part and this is what will delay the work, hopefully the Stadium will be ready this year”, he said.
Juba Stadium is set to accommodate about 35,000 more spectators than the previous Stadium which only has the capacity to accommodate 7,000 spectators.
SSFA President did not specified where the loan of 2.8 Million USD was secured from and who would pay back the funds. It is not yet known when the Stadium would be open. In April 2020, GS Construction Company was contracted by SSFA to reconstruct the only National stadium in the country.
The stadium was initially planned to be completed in February 2020 but due to delay in receiving funds from world soccer governing body FIFA, the sole funders of the reconstruction project of the stadium has prolonged the works.
The constriction of the stadium is a fulfillment of $5 million promise made to SSFA by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during his visit to South Sudan after his first election as head of the world soccer governing body.
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