National Heroes Stadium Explained

National Heroes Stadium
Former Names:Gabon Disaster Heroes National Stadium
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Zambia
Location:Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia
Coordinates:-15.3695°N 28.2726°W
Type:Multi-purpose stadium
Broke Ground:10 January 2011
Built:2011–2014
Opened:2014
Surface:Grass
Cost:US$94 million[1]
Main Contractors:Shanghai Construction Company
Capacity:60,000[2]
Tenants:Zambia national football team (2014 - present)

Heroes National Stadium[2] is a multi-purpose stadium in Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of the Zambia national football team. The stadium holds 60,000 spectators.[3] It opened in 2014. The name of the stadium refers to the 1993 Zambia national football team air disaster which took the lives of most of its national football team.

History

Upon completion of construction in 2013, it was originally named the Gabon Disaster Heroes National Stadium because of this, but the ruling Patriotic Front government was pressured to change the name by the populace.

On 7 July 2021, a state funeral of former President Kenneth Kaunda was held at the National Heroes Stadium.

Geography

The stadium's location is in the Matero suburb of Lusaka (Zambia's Capital City) on the Great North Road (T2 Road).[4] [5]

The Heroes National Stadium is located right next to where the refurbished Independence Stadium and the Heroes Acres Memorial where the players who died in the Gabon air disaster in 1993 are buried.

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://www.lusakatimes.com/2011/01/10/quality-sports-infrastructure-zambia-win-africa-cuprb/ "Quality sports Infrastructure will make Zambia win Africa Cup-RB"
  2. https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25706425 "Zambia complete construction of Heroes National Stadium"
  3. Web site: Guide to National Heroes Stadium . 2022-06-07 . Groundhop . en.
  4. Web site: Heroes National Stadium and 3 more top Stadia near Chibombo - Tripsuccor . 7 July 2018 . 25 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190425131417/http://tripsuccor.com/zambia/places/heroes-national-stadium-stadium-chibombo-central . dead .
  5. Web site: National Heroes Stadium · Great North Road, 31749, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.