The Chadian government has officially decreed that the new stadium in Ndjamena will be named after the late President, Marshal Idriss Deby Itno.
The announcement, published on May 13th, serves as a tribute to the former leader who laid the project’s foundation stone in 2019.
The new stadium, situated in the Mandjaffa district of Ndjamena, boasts a seating capacity of 30,000. This facility, a donation from the People’s Republic of China, becomes the largest stadium in Chad after the Idriss Mahamat Ouya stadium. Its inauguration is anticipated in the coming months, with a dedicated committee already established to oversee the opening preparations. The decision to name the stadium after Idriss Deby Itno acknowledges his role in initiating this significant infrastructure project.
Marshal Deby passed away in April 2021 during a military counter-offensive in northern Chad against rebels from the Front for Alternation and Concord in Chad (FACT). Following his death, his son, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, was appointed to lead the transitional government before being elected as the first president of Chad’s Fifth Republic.
CA/ac/fss/abj/APA