Top 10 Largest Stadiums In Africa

The larger the stadium, the more money the government or owners are likely to rake in. It is that simple. There are many large stadiums in terms of landmass and capacity in Africa.

Today we’ll be looking at the top 10 largest stadiums in Africa. Many of these stadiums are useful for both sporting events like the Olympics and non-sporting events like political campaigns, musical concerts, and many more.

Although we’re going to state the location, field size, and year opened, our major ranking factor is capacity. Perhaps you are already wondering how large these stadiums are as well as where they are located. Take a sip of hot coffee and enjoy the ride.

What is the most beautiful stadium in Africa?

Moses Mabhida Stadium is arguably the most beautiful stadium in Africa. Perhaps, it is the only stadium in Africa designed exclusively for fun seekers. The stadium offer fun activities like SkyCar ride all the way to the top of the arch.

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There is also the Adventure Walk where you will take 500 steps to get to the sky platform. The world’s first Big Swing stadium is also found here alongside restaurants and shops. Unfortunately, it is not one of the biggest stadiums in Africa. Therefore, it failed to make this list.

1. FNB Stadium (South Africa)

The largest stadium in Africa and number one on our list with 94,736 capacity is FNB Stadium. The full meaning of the FNB stadium is FIRST NATIONAL BANK STADIUM. It is a dual-purpose stadium for soccer and Rugby.

The stadium is also referred to as ‘Soccer City’ and ‘The Calabash’. It is located in Nasrec in Johannesburg the capital city of South Africa. Since its opening in 1989, the stadium has undergone renovation just twice. It has a field size of 105m by 68m.

2. Borg El Arab Stadium (Egypt)

Borgi El Arab Stadium with a 90,000 seat capacity is the second-largest stadium in Africa. It is also known as El-Geish stadium and Alexandria. Borg El Arab Stadium is one of the few mono-purpose large stadiums in Africa.

Also, it is the 2nd and 27th largest soccer stadiums in Africa and the world respectively. This spectacular stadium has a field size of 105m by 70m. The entire field stands on 145 feddans of land. El-Geish stadium is located in Cairo-Alexandria, Egypt.

3. Stade des Martyra de la pentecote (Congo DR)

The largest stadium in Congo, Stade des Martyra de la Pentecote, is the 3rd largest stadium in Africa. This stadium was officially opened in 1994 in Lingwala, Kinshasa capital of the Congo Republic.

Stade des Martyra de la Pentecote stadium can contain about 80,000 people at a time. It is a multi-purpose stadium for both sporting and non-sporting activities.

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4. Cairo international stadium (Egypt)

The 4th largest stadium in Africa by capacity is also the second-largest Egyptian stadium. It is the Cairo international stadium. As its name implies, it is located in Cairo the capital of Egypt. It can contain 74,100 people and serves as a multi-purpose stadium for many sporting activities.

The stadium was formerly referred to as Nasser stadium when it was first officially opened in 1960. Of all the large stadiums in the country, Cairo International Stadium is the official stadium for Egypt’s national team.

5. July 5 Stadium (Algeria)

Stade du 5 Juillet,1962 (English: July 5, 1962, Stadium). July 5 Stadium, as you probably thought, wasn’t named after the opening date. Suprisingly, July 5 Stadium was officially open on July 17, 1972. It is one of the largest stadiums in Africa.

July 5 Stadium can contain 64,000 people. You will find it in Algiers, Algeria. July 5 Stadium once recorded a massive crowd of 110,000 people when they played against Serbia in 2010. It houses a field of area 105m by 68m. This beautiful stadium has been renovated several times.

6. Ellis Park Stadium (South Africa)

South Africa has many large stadiums, but Ellis Park is the second largest. With a capacity of 62,567, Ellis Park Stadium is the 6th largest stadium in Africa. Due to sponsorship reasons, Ellis Park is referred to as Emirates Airline Park. It is one of the multi-purpose stadiums in South Africa.

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7. Abuja Stadium (Nigeria)

The largest stadium in Nigeria is the Moshood Abiola national stadium. It is also the 7th largest stadium in Africa. It was renamed on June 12 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari in honor of Nigeria’s political legends Alhaji Moshood Abiola. Nevertheless, it remains popular as Abuja Stadium.

It is in the capital of Nigeria, Abuja. This 60,491 capacity stadium was opened in 2003. Although Abuja Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, it’s mainly used for soccer. Sadly, the lack of proper maintenance has left parts of the stadium in bad shape.

8. Stade Olympique de Rades (Tunisia)

Stade Olympique de Rades is the only Tunisian stadium to make this list implying it’s the largest in the country. The Tunisian government owns the stadium. Since its opening in 2001, it has been renovated various times.

However, the latest in the series of renovations was in 2019. The Stadium has a 60,000 capacity and houses a 400m athletic track. Stade Olympique de Rades is currently one of the stadiums in Africa that enjoy robust usage due to its beauty.

9. Stade Municipal de Kintele (Republic of Congo)

Stade Municipal de Kintele in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo has an audience capacity of 60,000 people. The stadium established in 2015 is the official stadium for the Congo national team. Built in 2015, Stade Municipal de Kintele stadium is one of the newest African stadiums on this list.

It enjoys massive usage for various sporting and non-sporting events. Stade Municipal de Kintele stadium has various add-on features such as a 2000-seat aquatic center and a 10,000 indoor arena

10. Bahir Dar Stadium (Ethiopia)

Ethiopia’s largest stadium Bahir Dar Stadium rounds off our top 10 Largest Africa stadium list. Bahir Dar stadium in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia has a 60,000 capacity.

Due to its large capacity and beauty, it has become a multi-purpose stadium for both sporting and non-sporting activities. Bahir Dar stadium like every other stadium on this list has other add-on features.

Conclusion

This is how far we can go on this listicle of the top 10 largest stadiums in Africa. However, we hope it was enough to open your mind to the beauty of sports in Africa. Imagine 60,000 people chanting support for their favorite team or country. Perhaps, it is one of the most glorious images you’ll ever see.

Inside the stadiums, there is no religion or tribe. All the numerous divisions in some African countries cease to exist once the citizens get into the stadiums. They are still hundreds of large and beautiful stadiums across the continent. Sadly, some of them were unable to get on our list due to their sizes.

This list will definitely look different if we flip our criteria. Nevertheless, if you think there is a stadium that should be on the list, feel free to let us know. Use the comment box below to share your views.