The famous Independence Stadium has been refurbished and is ready to host matches starting this weekend when Green Buffaloes will play at home against Forest Rangers.
The Stadium which was a fortress for the Zambia national team for years was closed in 2004 for international engagements after it was deemed unfit for use due to safety concerns owing to the aging status of the structure which was built in the early 1960’s.
The Grand stand has since been demolished and has been replaced by a new open wing.
The stadium benefited from the FIFA Goal Project and has an artificial turf.
Green Buffaloes who made the stadium their home after it was banned for international matches were squatting at Woodlands stadium during the period of rehabilitation.
Photos courtesy of Francis Lungu
We shod go back playing there mybe zambia will stop losing and drawing too much, and since FAZ Owes MGT Of heroes and levy stadia alot of Money, indepandance will come in good use
Govnmnt should remove the artificial turf. Natural grass is better
Artificial turf is far more easier and far more cost effective to maintain. Remember we are battling as it is to maintain the grass at Levy so artificial turf is a far better solution.
Put up nice picturee somthat we can see the refurbished stadium.
zf are your cameras ok.
My thought exactly lol…we need more photos to show us how my old friend looks now!!
So thy won’t b a Vip Grand stand, bonse tizambo shombewa na Zuba.
That is gud news to have more playing grounds.
If my memory serves me right there was a time Zambia went eleven or more years unbeaten at this stadium! It was a slaughter house
Until tiny Angola came over in 1999 and we lost 1-0 in a Cosafa match!
with Zambia hosting the Under 20 in 2017, Gov must prepare the stadium to make it suitable for the games
11 years unbeaten? Uganda has surpused that record. Coz it has beaten ghana $ Zambia on there famous national stadia, 3 times for ghana $ once for Zambia despite us qualifying ahead of them on penalties for 2013 rsa afcon.
Records are meant to be broken. My point is not necessary the record but the fact that Independence Stadium was once a fortress. We need to bring back that mentality and kick on from there.
4 me such records doesn’t matter. Zambia now have better stadia than those old tamale/babayara’s independence resembrance of rehabilitated ones
Mumbi. those stadia in Ghana r juju infested stadiums. that is y they like using them.
Wow nice 2 hear tht nomba maintenance shud b 100% ba Green buffaloes take a leaf 4rm Red Arrows’ Nkoloma not like old Musa Kasonka stadium.
I can’t wait to be painted white with the lime when gate crashing for a match and I wonder how I would look with my gary hair I truly miss those days of gate crashing pa independence
But I believe these guys could have done better than that. Surely they can put up a simple grand stand? Even put concrete on the perimeter around the pitch. Money is there I am sure. It’s just love of mediocrity and poor workmanship. This Independence stadium is still nice and should just be refurbished nicely. Like @Paradox said, it can be used for the 2017 CAF games.
No grand stand? Modern stadia today are built with a roof covering basically the entire stadium. Seeing 2017 is around the corner should we not have taken this advantage of only having to modernise the stadium.
Anyway good to know that the stadium I saw the national team win at for so many years is back. This stadium brings back so many memories from a teargas canister experience to a paramilitary cop giving me a serious whip across the back to being sold a fake ticket to sitting with players on the field of play when Zambia beat then Zaire 4-2 to Kalusha coming our of retirement to score in the 1-0 win over Liberia world cup qualifier. So many memories I could go on and on and on.
This old rehabilitated stadia is a death trap. Be careful. Matero utd fc are now co-owners with GBFC of that death trap. Too many thieves frm matero are supporters of their home club.
You are right, as only the area where there was the grand stand looks new. The rest is the same old rubbish. No international games there ba FAZ, otherwise people’s lives will be put at risk. I rest my case
Do we need to use more then 2 stadiums for U/20 2017, when there are only 8 teams divided into 2 Groups? Let Green Buffalos use the independence stadium with that artificial turf. Rather we use Arthur Davies and Nkolama should need arise. If teams in the Sahara desert can play on green and well maintained grass pitches, what about us. What is wrong kanshi. Artificial turf pa Zed should be used for training when our teams are going out to play on a similar pitch
Thanks
I am shocked that they have to refurbish it without a grand stand. Why can’t they put a simple grand stand? It’s not very expensive. You just need amalata and ama poles. Thats all. The perimeter around the pitch also needs to be looked; At least they should put slab or better still put grass and water it. Surely lets not struggle with simple and straightforward things.
this does not look like independance atall…..i dault if these pics really show indepence standium..
HAHAHA! Ati sahara desart. Probably its bcoz all those countries existed b4 us. There was no single human being in Zambia 200 years ago until migration started in 18th centuary.
So we have two stadia few meters apart! One of these will be a white elephant.
@Zimandola it is 3 stadiums within a few meters of each other , you have forgotten the famous humanism hill, hahaha, remember that
Humanism hill is not a stadium, it is a naturally crafted grand stand……lol
I am not clear if the stadium is able to host even international matches or it is only local matches
This looks incomplete and ugly to me! GRZ, is this all you got?
There is nothing nice to write home about Indepedo! This was a slaughter house for sure. Looks like nothing much has been done. I’m equally not a big fan of artificial turfs. Natural grass is better.
It has to be the most modern stadium in the country. It is a museum for the late, it has to be better than that. I can’t see any refurbishment. Be serious