China-aided Cape Verde national stadium boosts local sports development

When the news went viral — about how the Cape Verde national football team squeezed its way into the knockout stage of the World Cup — sports fans couldn't hold back their cheers for this small African island country.

The head of a Chinese technical team in Cape Verde was also excited, but felt no surprise, because he witnessed with his own eyes the team's remarkable journey to the World Cup right in the stadium that was constructed with their assistance.

An interior view of Cape Verde's national stadium.

In Cape Verde, with a population of less than 600,000, football is undoubtedly the national sport. People enjoy playing football as long as there is a tiny flat space.

However, underdeveloped infrastructure had dampened people's passion for the sport for a long time. Before 2013, Cape Verde had only one dilapidated stadium, which was unqualified for major international competitions. Because of that, the national team was forced to train in rented overseas fields for either the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup qualifiers.

In 2009, the Chinese construction assistance team arrived in Cape Verde and began the construction of the country's national stadium. Four years later, the 94,000-square-meter stadium that could accommodate 15,000 spectators was put into use.

This stadium has a football field and a standard track, which are recognized by both the FIFA and World Athletics. It is equipped with multiple advanced devices, including athletics facilities, spotlights, audio equipment, a giant LED screen, a timing and scoring system and a media center.

The Chinese construction assistance team continued to offer help, even though the project was handed over. Since 2015, they have held their positions in Cape Verde, maintaining water supply, electricity and lighting systems. They have also continuously conducted technical training to provide support for a variety of games.

Over the past decade, this stadium has hosted the qualifiers of the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations as well as the formal Lusophone Games. Notably, the Cape Verde national team is accustomed to conducting enclosed training at this stadium, which is considered as their "home field", before real competitions take place.

"Locals don't call it the 'National Stadium', they affectionately refer to it as the 'Chinese Stadium'," a Chinese technical expert proudly said.

"This stadium witnesses the rise of Cape Verde in football. It demonstrates how China selflessly and sincerely assists other countries in developing their sports and improving their people's well-being," he added.