View source for Nelson Mandela Stadium

{{Infobox stadium
| stadium_name = Nelson Mandela Stadium
| image = Nelson_Mandela_Stadium_algiers.jpg
| caption = Nelson Mandela stadium in 2022
| city = Algiers [El Djazaïr]
| country = Algeria
| location = Pénétrante Rocade Sud (Baraki)-RN 1 (Birkhadem)<br/>[[Baraki, Algeria|Baraki]], [[Algiers]], Algeria
| coordinates = {{Coord|36|41|36|N|3|07|18|E|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:DZ}}
| broke_ground = 20 January 2010
| built = 2010–2023
| opened = 7 January 2023
| renovated = 
| expanded = 
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| owner = 
| operator = Ministry of Youth and Sport
| surface = [[Lawn|Grass]]
| construction_cost = [[Euro|€]]280 million<br />(€300 million in 2022)
| architect = Tom Sheehan and partners
| project_manager = 
| services engineer = 
| general_contractor = [[China Railway Engineering Corporation]]
| main_contractors = 
| former_names = Baraki Stadium
| tenants = [[Algeria national football team]]
| seating_capacity = 40,784 (Association football)
| dimensions = {{convert|105|by|68|m|yards}}
| scoreboard = 
}}
'''Nelson Mandela Stadium''' ({{Lang-ar|ملعب نيلسون مانديلا}}) is a 40,784 capacity [[stadium]] in [[Baraki, Algeria|Baraki]], [[Algeria]], a suburb of [[Algiers]]. The value of construction work for the stadium cost around 300 million euros. It will be used as an athletics track and be the first stadium in Algeria, to be eligible to host all the matches organized by FIFA including the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] and the second stadium entirely covered in Algeria after the new [[Miloud Hadefi Stadium]] in [[Oran]]. The Nelson Mandela stadium which extends over a total area of 68 hectares, including 5 hectares built, includes all the infrastructure essential to the organization of international football events.<ref name="infrastructures-sportives-mise-en-service-du-systeme-intelligent-du-stade-de-baraki-d-alger">{{cite web |url=https://www.aps.dz/sport/146633-infrastructures-sportives-mise-en-service-du-systeme-intelligent-du-stade-de-baraki-d-alger |title=Mise en service du système intelligent du stade de Baraki d'Alger |website=[[Algeria Press Service|APS]] |date=25 October 2022 |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref> The sports infrastructure includes ancillary spaces including 50 accommodation rooms including two suites, a car park with a capacity of 6,000 vehicles on an area of 13 ha, a heliport for emergencies or the reception of official delegations, a replica field as well as green spaces. The stadium also has four changing rooms, dressing rooms for the referees, a medical area, a medical analysis laboratory, a hall of honor, a presidential stand, a conference room of 258 seats, a press area, radio and television broadcasting studios, three simultaneous interpretation studios, three 1,000-seat restaurants, fast food areas and other infrastructure.<ref name="infrastructures-sportives-mise-en-service-du-systeme-intelligent-du-stade-de-baraki-d-alger" />

==Stadium==
===Construction===
[[File:Grand Stade d'Alger.png|thumb|left|250px|Artist's rendering.]]
[[File:Stade baraki.jpg|thumb|250px|Construction of the Nelson Mandela Stadium, looking east, taken 24 march 2017.]]
The work began in 2010 by Chinese company China Railway Engineering Corporation to build Baraki Stadium with a capacity of 40,000 spectators. The stadium was planned for a capacity of 60,000 seats but was reduced to 40,000. The company had been very slow to progress and only 25 percent of the stadium was completed within four years. Work was disrupted again due to non payment. In this time Algeria missed the chance to host the African Cup in 2017. On March 29, the first stage of covering the pitch was completed and the first in charge of the sector was able to see that the internal works concerning the locker rooms and the VIP zones are already well advanced. On October 20 and on an official visit to the Governor of Algiers Abdelkader Zoukh and the Minister of Youth and Sports El Hadi Ould Ali to inspect the works on the stadium the governor gave great criticism to the company responsible for the accomplishment due to the large delay in the works. On May 6, 2022, Achour Djelloul stated for National Radio that they requested to take advantage of Baraki Stadium and that Groupe SERPORT is ready to carry out the remaining works in order to receive it as soon as possible, because Omar Hamadi Stadium has become a danger to the supporters. On October 24, 2022, the Minister of Housing, Urban Planning and the City, Mohamed Tariq Belarbi, launched the smart system during a working visit and an inspection of the stadium. During this visit carried out in the company of a delegation of journalists from the national and foreign press, it was noted the works of the Baraki stadium would be completed in 10 to 15 days, stressing that the date of its official inauguration would be set soon.

===Name of the stadium===
[[File:Nelson Mandela-2008 (edit).jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Nelson Mandela]] the South African [[Internal resistance to apartheid|anti-apartheid]] who served as the [[President of South Africa|first president of South Africa]] from 1994 to 1999.]]
On 18 October 2016 the chairman of the Algerian Football Federation, [[Mohamed Raouraoua]], said the new Baraki stadium will carry the name of the late [[Abdelhamid Kermali]], the former coach of the [[Algeria national football team|Algerian national football team]], who lead the Fennecs (their nick-name) to win the [[1990 African Cup of Nations]]. Raouraoua said during a lengthy interview he conducted with the [[Établissement public de télévision|Algerian television]], that Abdelhamid Kermali left his mark in the history of Algerian football, as a player, but especially as a coach, since he granted Algeria, the only title yet, which was the reason the [[Algerian Football Federation]] choose his name to immortalize him with this stadium, which will be a spherical masterpiece after its launch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adiyaronline.net/?p=9350 |title=ملعب براقي سيكون جوهرة حقيقية وسيخفف الضغط علي ملاعب العاصمة |website=adiyaronline |accessdate=13 February 2017}}</ref> However on December 20, 2022, the Minister of Youth and Sports announced that the country's supreme authorities had decided to name Baraki Stadium after [[Nelson Mandela]] the South African [[Internal resistance to apartheid|anti-apartheid]] hero. He continued to say that Mandela had an intimate, almost fusional relationship with Algeria, which he called his second homeland. He continued that Mandela said that “the Algerian Army made me a man”, to show his gratitude to Algeria, it is therefore logical that the Algerian authorities wanted to pay tribute to him by giving his name to this new stadium in the [[Algiers|capital]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dzfoot.com/divers/stade-de-baraki-linfrastructure-portera-bien-le-nom-de-nelson-mandela-236042.html |title=Stade de Baraki : L'infrastructure portera bien le nom de Nelson Mandela |website=dzfoot.com |date=20 December 2022 |accessdate=20 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.algerie360.com/le-stade-de-baraki-portera-bien-le-nom-de-nelson-mandela-officiel/ |title=Le stade de Baraki portera bien le nom de Nelson Mandela (officiel) |website=algerie360.com |date=20 December 2022 |accessdate=20 December 2022}}</ref> On January 12, 2023, Algerian President [[Abdelmadjid Tebboune]] officially inaugurated the stadium, in the presence of the grandson of Nelson Mandela, [[FIFA]] President [[Gianni Infantino]], and [[Confederation of African Football]] President [[Patrice Motsepe]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dzfoot.com/divers/chan-2023-le-stade-nelson-mandela-officiellement-inaugure-236784.html |title=CHAN 2023 : Le Stade Nelson Mandela officiellement inauguré |website= |date=January 12, 2023 |accessdate=January 12, 2023}}</ref>

===Handover and opening===
On January 7, 2023, the first match was held between [[Algeria A' national football team|Algeria A']] and [[Ghana A' national football team|Ghana A']], and the first official match was in the opening of the [[2022 African Nations Championship]] between [[Algeria A' national football team|Algeria A']] and [[Libya A' national football team|Libya A']]. Before the start of the match, Djahid Zefizef President of the [[Algerian Football Federation]], and the grandson of [[Nelson Mandela]] [[Mandla Mandela]], and [[Patrice Motsepe]], President of the [[Confederation of African Football]], delivered speeches and the session was officially opened by Prime Minister [[Aymen Benabderrahmane]]. Also attending many African football stars, namely [[Emmanuel Adebayor]], [[Karim Haggui]], [[Rabah Madjer]], [[Asamoah Gyan]] and [[Jay-Jay Okocha]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.elmoudjahid.dz/fr/sports/des-legendes-africaines-invitees-a-l-ouverture-193800 |title=Des légendes africaines invitées à l’ouverture |website=[[El Moudjahid]] |date=January 9, 2023 |access-date=January 12, 2023}}</ref> and the presence of the Algerian international star [[Soolking]], the rapper revealed that he will perform his most famous songs in Medley, with 3 songs including ''Suavemente'' and with [[Dadju]] where they performed the song [[Meleğim]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lapatrienews.dz/ceremonie-douverture-du-chan-soolking-en-guest-star/ |title=Cérémonie d’ouverture du Chan : Soolking en guest star ! |website=Lapatrienews.dz |date=January 10, 2023 |access-date=January 12, 2023}}</ref>

==Tenants and events==
===2022 African Nations Championship===

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|-
!Date
!Local time
!Team No. 1
!Result
!Team No. 2
!Round
|-
|13 January 2023||20:00|| {{fb|ALG}} ||style="text-align:center;"| 1–0 || {{fb|LBY}} ||[[2022 African Nations Championship Group A|Group A]]
|-
|14 January 2023||14:00|| {{fb|ETH}} ||style="text-align:center;"| 0–0 || {{fb|MOZ}} ||[[2022 African Nations Championship Group A|Group A]]
|-
|17 January 2023||17:00|| {{fb|MOZ}} ||style="text-align:center;"| 3–2 || {{fb|LBY}} ||[[2022 African Nations Championship Group A|Group A]]
|-
|17 January 2023||20:00|| {{fb|ALG}} ||style="text-align:center;"| 1–0 || {{fb|ETH}} ||[[2022 African Nations Championship Group A|Group A]]
|-
|21 January 2023||20:00|| {{fb|MOZ}} ||style="text-align:center;"| 0–1 || {{fb|ALG}} ||[[2022 African Nations Championship Group A|Group A]]
|-
|22 January 2023||20:00|| {{fb|UGA}} ||style="text-align:center;"| 1–3 || {{fb|CIV}} ||[[2022 African Nations Championship Group B|Group B]]
|-
|27 January 2023||17:00|| {{fb|ALG}} ||style="text-align:center;"| 1–0 || {{fb|CIV}} ||[[2022 African Nations Championship knockout stage#Quarter-finals|Quarter-finals]]
|-
|31 January 2023||20:00|| {{fb|SEN}} ||style="text-align:center;"| – || Winner Match 27 ||[[2022 African Nations Championship knockout stage#Semi-finals|Semi-finals]]
|- style="background:gold;"
|4 February 2023||20:00|| Winners Match 29 ||style="text-align:center;"| – || Winner Match 30 ||[[2022 African Nations Championship Final|Final]]
|}

==Transport connections==
{{Empty section|date=August 2022}}

==Football matches==
The stadium will host national and international matches. It was inaugurated by a friendly international game between [[Algeria A' national football team|Algeria A']] and [[Ghana A' national football team|Ghana A']] on 7 January 2023.

{|class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%"
|-
! International events and matches
|-
|
{{Football box collapsible
|format     = 1
|round      = [[Exhibition game#Association football|Friendly]] (inauguration of the stadium)
|date       = 7 January 2023
|time       = 17:00 [[UTC+01:00]]
|team1      = {{fbl-rt|ALG|name=Algeria A'}}
|score      = 0–0
|team2      = {{fbl|GHA|name=Ghana A'}}
|goals1     = 
|goals2     = 
|location   = [[Baraki, Algiers|Baraki]], [[Algiers]]
|stadium    = Nelson Mandela Stadium
|attendance = 
|referee    = Nabil Boukhalfa ([[Algerian Football Federation|Algeria]])
|report     = 
|result     = 
}}
|}

==See also==
{{portal|Association football}}
*[[List of football stadiums in Algeria]]
*[[List of African stadiums by capacity]]
*[[List of association football stadiums by capacity]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Baraki Stadium}}
*[http://www.mourad-mtl.com/MCA_USMA.html Stadium information]
*[http://www.atsp.eu/Projets.asp?projet_id=34 Designs of stadium]

{{s-start-collapsible|title=Events}}
{{succession box 
| title=[[African Nations Championship]]<br>Final Venue
| before=[[Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium]] <br> [[Yaoundé]]
| after=TBD
| years=[[2022 African Nations Championship|2022]]
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Algeria national football team}}
{{Portal bar|Africa|Algeria|Association football|Architecture}}

[[Category:Football venues in Algeria]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Algiers Province]]
<!--[[Category:2023 establishments in Algeria]]-->
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 2023]]