Govt to increase Konkola stadium capacity

Govt to increase Konkola stadium capacity

Chililabombwe,  August 13, 2014 ZANIS—Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili says the sitting capacity of Konkola stadium in Chililabombwe will be increased to over 20,000 from the current 15,000.

Kambwili says the government is set to increase the sitting capacity of the stadium as Zambia  bids to host the 2019 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking when he led a delegation of CAF inspectors at Konkola Stadium in Chililabombwe today,  Kambwili said the stadium was poised to undergo massive rehabilitation works that would culminate into increased capacity from the current 15 000.

Kabwili told the inspectors that the stadium, which hosted international matches between 2005 and 2007, enjoyed a good spectatorship as the local residents were soccer loving people.

He said the stadium has excellent security and the behavior of fans  was good therefore no fatal  incidences have been recorded at the facility.

Kamwbili also told the inspectors, who later toured Konkola Mine Hospital, that government possessed five fully fledged mobile hospitals that could be availed to compliment the hospital in handling possible emergencies during the Africa Cup tournament.

The delegation of inspectors included CAF Committee member Amadou Diakite of Mali, Adoum Djibril of Chad, Paul Bassey of Nigeria and Amr Farmy of Egypt.

Konkola Mine Hospital, located close to the stadium, has modern facilities that could be used to handle possible emergencies and accidents during the CAF games.

The hospital currently provides medical services to over 5000 Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) employees in Chililabombwe.