Bahir Dar Stadium to Be Ready by September, a Tournament in Mind

Jul 12 , 2026. By BEZAWIT HULUAGER ( FORTUNE STAFF WRITER )

International Stadium has progressed beyond the foundational structural engineering and entered its final finishing phase, with project coordinators targeting completion by September of this year. According to Messele Haile (PhD), chief executive of MH Engineering Plc, the complex is now more than 90pc complete, with the primary focus shifting from pouring concrete to meeting modern inspection baselines. The outstanding milestones depend entirely on the successful integration of imported equipment, particularly lighting systems, electrical networks, and specialised hardware required for official licensing.

Bahir Dar International Stadium is nearing completion, and the people building it say what is left is no longer construction but the finishing that decides whether a venue passes inspection.

Regional officials and the project's designer expect it to be ready by September this year, the remaining work confined to finishing, furnishing and final installation.

Built under the stewardship of MIDROC Ethiopia, the Stadium has undergone a deep upgrade to meet current continental and world football standards. According to Messele Haile (PhD), CEO of MH Engineering Plc, the consulting firm that designed the Stadium, the project has had to keep pace with changing FIFA requirements, “because football-venue standards do not stay fixed.”

“The venue needed to move beyond an older specification and satisfy newer expectations for international competition,” he told Fortune.

The detail tells the story of how far the bar has moved. Bahir Dar Stadium, built in the lakeside town that serves as the seat of the Amhara Regional State, initially had only two changing rooms, while current FIFA standards require four. The revised design also had to account for media facilities, entry zones, interior works and other matchday infrastructure before the ground could function as an international venue.

“Much of the structural work is finished,” Messele said. “What remains is largely finishing and imported items tied to licensing and certification.”

Messele, the German-trained architect who puts his fingerprints on several landmark projects across the country, put the project at more than 90pc complete, with the outstanding tasks concentrated in finishing and installation. Among them, lighting, power, systems, and other imported equipment are still to be fitted before handover.

“The pitch and seating are done,” he said. “The rest is about making the venue fully functional and compliant.”

The money behind it is partly a donation from MIDROC Investment Group, which has financed close to one billion Birr of the project’s cost, Jemal Ahmed, chief executive, disclosed to Fortune. It is also its contractor.

Construction of the Stadium began in 2008, initially scheduled to be completed in 2015, but entered a new phase of renovation after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) suspended it in 2021 for failing to meet required standards, claiming deficiencies in medical facilities, media and VIP areas, and training infrastructure.

According to Messele, the upgrade has been driven by rising FIFA and CAF standards that forced his design team to revise as they built, from the number of changing rooms to wider matchday requirements, support areas and technical facilities.

“The African setting often makes delivery harder than in Europe, because the standards keep climbing while budgets stay tight,” he said.

The rebuild has been aimed squarely at clearing those failures. The pitch was one part of a broader reconstruction following the venue's suspension.

Gregori International, a French construction and engineering firm that builds sports fields, golf courses and large landscaping projects on a turnkey basis, renovated the main pitch and two auxiliary pitches with natural grass. Now, the playing surface came from abroad.

The work meant stripping out the old substrate, replacing the deep drainage system, laying an irrigation network with automated watering, and preparing the surface for seeding. The company also supplied specialised equipment and supervised the installation throughout.

Who pays for the rest is a regional matter. According to Gashaw Tekeba, deputy head of the Culture & Sport Bureau under the Regional State, the remaining work is financed by the regional government rather than as a federal budget line.

However, Gashaw declined to provide figures, saying the project is still underway and that exact numbers are not yet ready for release.

The most reliable current estimate from Gregori International puts the Stadium’s capacity at 60,000 spectators.

Ethiopia is now preparing to compete at a higher level, including hosting major continental tournaments.

“Stadiums have to be lifted beyond earlier specifications,” Messele said. “The current upgrades are not cosmetic. They are meant to carry venues through certification once inspectors arrive.”

Bahir Dar is among the country's larger grounds and is meant to become one of its key international venues, part of a national push that also includes venues in Addis Abeba, Hawassa and Wolaita. Its value lies in its capacity to hold big matches and take pressure off other stadiums when major fixtures crowd the calendar. If it meets all standards, Bahir Dar can host games at the national and continental levels.

Experts in the sports industry believe that the Stadium has reached this stage, which shows the problem is no longer basic construction but rather the final details of approval and operation.

That shift, from pouring concrete to passing certification, is the real change in Ethiopian stadium-building. Meeting FIFA and CAF rules now requires not only stands and seating but also specialised interior systems, multiple changing rooms, media infrastructure, and certified technical installations.

The timing matters because the continental calendar is tightening. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), already awarded to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, will run from June 19 to July 17, 2027, leaving only a year before the 2028 edition and narrowing the field of countries able to bid in such a short window.

Morocco, which could treat the tournament as a dress rehearsal for the 2030 World Cup; Egypt, 10 years on from hosting in 2018; and Ethiopia and South Africa are among the names in circulation. The 2032 and 2036 fields open wider, with Zambia, never a host despite several attempts, and Equatorial Guinea, eyeing a third turn after 2012 and 2015, both mentioned.

Whether Ethiopia can seize such a moment turns on more than one Stadium.

According to Abera Desalegn (PhD), a staff member at the Ethiopia Sports Academy who spent 16 years at Dilla University before joining the Academy two years ago, the country's ability to host a major tournament will depend on meeting requirements for stadiums, hospitals, hotels and transport.

He judged the progress substantial, as the current list of stadiums with capacities of at least 5,000 now includes 18 venues. Of these, 14 are completed or currently in use, while four remain under construction.

The Adey Abeba Stadium in Addis Abeba is the largest of the projects under construction, with a planned capacity of 62,000 spectators. This would make it Ethiopia’s largest Stadium once completed, surpassing Bahir Dar’s listed capacity. Aqaqi Stadium is close behind, while Bahir Dar is “nearly ready for major events.” Beyond the capital, Hawassa, Jimma and Dire Dawa already hold hotels and venues that could be raised to international standards.

The harder question is who runs these grounds once built.

“The government has traditionally financed stadium construction,” Abera said, “but it is turning increasingly to public-private partnerships (PPPs) to manage and maintain them, drawing private operators into operations such as security, cleaning and facility management.”

For Abera, Ethiopia can host a prestigious tournament if it continues to prioritise the completion of its infrastructure.

He looks abroad for a model. Many European clubs own and operate their stadiums, while other countries rely on public-private partnerships to finance and manage large sports facilities.

“Ethiopia should adopt a similar arrangement, or build a corporate management structure on the lines of Ethiopian Airlines, with the state keeping ownership while handing operation, security, cleaning and maintenance to private operators to keep the venues sustainable for the long term,” said Abera.

PUBLISHED ON Jul 12,2026 [ VOL 27 , NO 1367]