Newly-appointed Minister of Youth and Sports Uchizi Mkandawire has given his word that construction of the government-funded Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Mukuru Wanderers stadia will be completed by the end of the year.

The minister gave the assurance in an interview with Zodiak Broadcasting Station on Friday.

Artistic impression of Nomads Stadium

He was quoted as having said: “There has been notable progress on the project for Wanderers in Soche, [Blantyre] where almost 75 percent of the works has been done.

“As for the Bullets project, it has been a bit slow and it is at 50 percent.

An artistic impression of Bullets Stadium to be built near Moneymen along Chikwawa Road

“That said, we are hopeful that by the end of the year, both projects should be through.”

In an interview yesterday, the minister said he will soon inspect the projects to appreciate the progress.

The two teams yesterday said they were relieved with the minister’s assurance.

Said Bullets chief administration officer Albert Chigoga: “This is going to be great news to the entire Bullets family if it materialises.

“We’ll keep our fingers crossed that the minister’s assurance should come to pass.”

On his part, Wanderers company and board secretary Chancy Gondwe said: “We are happy with the minister’s assurance. However, let us wait and see because that is just a mere statement.

“Otherwise, we are happy to hear that the stadia will be completed this year.”

The minister’s assurance comes barely a month after his predecessor Richard Chimwendo Banda said government is committed to completing the projects.

The two projects have not been funded since 2020, resulting in the stalling of the works and fuelling speculation that government has abandoned them.

Chimwendo Banda said the projects were shelved because attention shifted to the construction of the Griffin Saenda Indoor Sports Complex and the Aquatic Centre in Lilongwe for the hosting of the Africa Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games last year.

Government through immediate past president Peter Mutharika pledged during the 2019 Tripartite Elections campaign period to construct the two stadia for the domestic football powerhouses.

Bullets stadium, which was estimated to cost K3.8 billion, is located along Chikwawa Road in Zingwangwa Township near Moneymen Sports Club and was allocated to China Civil Engineering while the Nomads stadium, which was pegged at K3.6 billion and was awarded to Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company, is in Soche near Blantyre Teachers College.

For decades the two giants have used Kamuzu Stadium as their home ground.

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