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8 Of Africa’s Biggest Money-Making Sports Stadiums

8 Of Africa’s Biggest Money-Making Sports Stadiums

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Sports stadiums are some of the biggest moneymakers for African countries. Forbes recently released its list of 100 highest-paid athletes of 2015. Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure of the Manchester City made the cut. Ghanaian forward Asamoah Gyan just accepted a deal with the Shanghai SIPG FC that will earn him $350,000 a week. These salaries make sense considering the millions of fans these football stars draw into stadiums—fans who are purchasing tickets, food, beverages and, of course, VIP seats. Here is a look at 8 of Africa’s most money-making sports stadiums — and largest and most popular. It’s where the top African athletes play.

Sources: Forbes.com, Mozaicsports.com 

Javiergarciaalda.com/June 11 Stadium in Tripoli
Javiergarciaalda.com/June 11 Stadium in Tripoli

June 11 Stadium, Tripoli, Libya, Capacity: 65,000

The June 11 Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium and is the main venue where Libyan football teams participate in the African National Cup and the FIFA World Cup. The venue saw the final game between Ghana and Libya in the 1982 African Cup of Nations, and in 2002 it hosted the Italian Supercup, says Gutenberg.us. It’s named after the date that U.S. forces withdrew from Libya in 1970.

Faelluce.com/Stade Moulay Abdellah
Faelluce.com/Stade Moulay Abdellah

Stade Moulay Abdellah, Rabat, Morocco, Capacity: 65,000

Stade Moulay Abdellah is named after Prince Moulay Abdallah of Morocco and is the home playing field for the Moroccan football club Forces Armées Royales de Rabat. It has also hosted the annual track and field competition called the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athlétisme de Rabat since it began in 2008. The venue recently witnessed some drama after athletes had to play in a Club World Cup quarter-final in dangerous weather conditions, according to Reuters.com.

Youtube/Ultrasarabe, Stade Moulay Abdellah
Youtube/Ultrasarabe, Stade Mohamed Casablanca

Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco, Capacity: 67,000

Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco is the home playing field for the Morocco National team. When the stadium first opened in 1955 it had a capacity of 30,000, then it was renovated for the 1983 Mediterranean Games to seat 90,000 people but has since been reduced to seat 67,000. The stadium also has an Olympic-sized pool, a massive treatment facility for athletes, a conference center and a media center, as well as an anti-doping facility, according to Fifa.com.

Fussballtempel.net/Cairo International Stadium,
Fussballtempel.net/Cairo International Stadium,

Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt, 75,000

The Cairo International Stadium is equipped to host the Olympic games and is the Arab World’s second biggest stadium. President Gamal Abdel Nasser inaugurated the venue when it opened in 1960, and since then it has undergone major renovations to accommodate the 2006 African Cup of Nations. “Nearly all of the important Egyptian matches are held here,” says Cairo-stadium.org.

Flickr.com/Stade du 5 Juillet
Flickr.com/Stade du 5 Juillet

Stade du 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers, Algeria, Capacity: 80,000

Named for the day Algeria declared its independence from France, the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962 (translated to July 5 1962 Stadium) was first built to seat 95,000 and hosted the 1975 Mediterranean Games, the 1978 All-Africa Games, the 2004 Pan Arab Games and the 2007 All-Africa Games, as well as the 1990 African Cup of Nations. One of the most monumental events at the stadium was the final round of the African Cup of Nations, which saw a crowd of 105,302 people. After that, the stadium was forced to reduce its capacity to a little over 80,000, says Footballtripper.com.

Wikipeidia.org/Stade des Martyrs
Wikipeidia.org/Stade des Martyrs

Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo, Capacity: 80,000

Stade des Martyrs is the national stadium of the Democratic Republic of Congo. While it is mostly used for football games, it has seen some music events. The stadium was financed by China and cost around $60 million, says Footballtripper.com. Past football games have seen nearly 100,000 visitors, greatly surpassing the stadium’s capacity.

Fantasticegypt.com/Borg El Arab Stadium
Fantasticegypt.com/Borg El Arab Stadium

Borg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt, Capacity: 86,000

Borg El Arab Stadium is the largest stadium in Egypt and the 27th largest in the world. The stadium has over 30 dining venues and over 300 bathrooms. The venue’s opening match was Egypt versus Trinidad and Tobago at the 2009 Fifa U-20 World Cup. That game kicked off with high-tech visuals and fantastic light effects, according to Fifa.com.

Stadiumguide.com
Stadiumguide.com

FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, Capacity: 94,736

The FNB stadium isn’t just the largest sports arena in the country, but the largest venue of any kind in South Africa. The stunning structure underwent a $200 renovation for the first African World Cup in 2010. It’s so enormous it’s been called Soccer City and has played host to major historic events like President Nelson Mandela’s first speech in 1990, according to Stadiummanagement.co.za. As for musical events, the venue has hosted U2, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.