The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) have expressed their satisfaction and pride following CAF’s approval of the Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) to host the upcoming Uganda Cranes’ 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
This comes after FUFA today morning confirmed that CAF has granted permission for the national team to host its upcoming qualifiers at Namboole.
Speaking to NBS Sport, the Deputy Defence Spokesperson Deo Akiiki revealed that UPDF, which was tasked with the stadium’s renovation in February 2022, is not surprised by CAF’s decision, revealing that as a military force, they are always striving to deliver on their promises.
“We are not surprised that CAF has approved the stadium because we promised Ugandans that we’re people that keep our word,” Akiiki said. “As UPDF, we always do our work to the level required, and we assure Ugandans of future quality projects,” he added.
The Mandela National Stadium has undergone a comprehensive renovation process over the past four years, with the UPDF Engineering Brigade responsible for completing the first phase and part of the second and third phases of the project.
Akiiki acknowledged that there is still more work to be done, but expressed confidence in the UPDF’s ability to deliver on the remaining tasks.”There’s still some work to do, but so far, so good, and we promise Ugandans that UPDF will deliver on everything,” Akiiki said.
“When we are completely done with Namboole, Ugandans will be happy that UPDF was given the task to renovate the stadium,” he concluded.
The news of CAF’s approval comes as a significant boost for the Uganda Cranes, who will host their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Botswana and Algeria at the refurbished Namboole Stadium.
UPDF has so far used around UGX 97 billion on renovation projects in and around the national stadium.
