Can SKD Be Upgraded To Meet Up With The Requirement To Host A World Cup Qualifier Before September?

Just after it was reported that the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex was banned from hosting a FIFA World Cup qualifier match, authorities of the top world football governing bodies, FIFA and CAF visited Liberia to carry own personal assessment of the stadium and to also meet with the President of Liberia and key football stakeholders in the country to further discuss their 2022 World Cup future.

The meeting concluded with CAF’s President Mr. Motsepe officially lifting the ban on the stadium and asking, whilst pledging his support with plans to help upgrade the stadium to international stadiums so that it can meet the criteria to host a World Cup qualifier.

Before CAF’s ban and their visit to Liberia, the government had previously invested US $7.5M to renovate SKD in 2007, and in 2017, they used US $ 18M to also renovate the same SKD. In totality the government used of US $25.5M.

Now with all of this money invested to renovate a stadium that finally got banned, how can the government now makeup within this very short period of time to get SKD to international standard to host a World Cup qualifier match?

Well below is the Requirements for a stadium to possess inorder to host World Cup qualifiers:

• Biometric / tickets barcode reader
• Turnstiles for all the entrances/ gates
• Media tribune
• Media center
• Mixed zone
• Venue operation center VOC/ CCTV monitoring system
• Good modern facilities
• Bucket seats with numbering
• Good safety & Security set up
• Good playing pitch
• Good lighting system
• Digital / HD2 / scored board
• Good car Packing lot system
• Dressing rooms with good water system

Interestingly the government was given just four months to renovate SKD to have at least 90% of the above listed requirements done.

Now the question is can this be done?

Credit: T-Kla Wesley