CONSTRUCTION of the multi-purpose football academy and stadium complex in Lomolomo is set to begin in March this year, Fiji Football Association (FFA) Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Yusuf confirmed in an exclusive interview with Times Sports.
To date, the FFA has spent over $350,000 acquiring all the necessary paperwork to commence the first phase of the stadium’s construction.
In addition to the FIFA-funded football academy and stadium complex, accommodation units will also be included in the proposed development.
“We are also looking at doing a feasibility study, to ensure the same complex have also accommodation units, like hotel type accommodation available, to entice sports tourism,” Yusuf explained.
“Teams can come, stay there, and then come in to train at the academy facilities, doing a package together, so these are long term plans, but exciting year for Fiji football, and we are building the foundation for the future generation.”
Originally, the stadium was planned to have a seating capacity of 20,000. However, based on findings from the feasibility studies, the FFA has opted for a 15,000-seat stadium.
“Because of Fiji’s weather conditions, and we are at the moment looking at a 15,000-seat stadium, the feasibility study has indicated anything more will be a white elephant, and so we are concentrating on that,” Yusuf stated.
There have been requests from other stakeholders to increase the capacity to 25,000, but this would require FIFA’s approval.
“Although the request from the other stakeholders, if we can take it to 25,000, that’s something FIFA will have to approve, because it’s FIFA funding, Yusuf confirmed.
In addition to the FIFA grant, the FFA plans to provide supplementary funding for the project.
“There’ll be a loan as well taken by Fiji football, it’s not only with FIFA funds we can do the whole project, but we’ll also have to take loans, so now executing properties, we have 25 million properties that the banks will give loan on,” said Yusuf.
The total forecasted cost for the stadium is $20 million, with $15 million coming from FIFA’s infrastructure development funding over four cycles, from 2026 to 2029.
The remaining $5 million will be provided by the FFA through bank loans to ensure the project’s timely completion.
The aim is to attract major competitions that will generate the income needed to repay the loans.
Yusuf outlined that the project will be executed in three phases, with completion targeted for 2029.
“It’s a three-phased programme, so phase one, we should have it completed by end of 2027, phase two end of 2028, and phase three by end of 2029, that’s the plan we have. Things may change, if we have, we can acquire more funding, etc, things may change and work faster,” he said.
