22,000 (sources vary; older reports and stadium directories list up to 35,000).[1][2]
Record attendance
Reported 60,000 (Liberia v Malawi, 11 June 1989), figure cited in some stadium directories but not corroborated by primary match reports; included here as a contested/uncertain figure. [3]
Surface
Grass
Construction
Opened
1986
Renovated
2005; 2013–2017 (major overhaul funded by China); 2022 (refurbishment works).[4]
The Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex (commonly called SKD Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Paynesville, Monrovia, Liberia. Opened in 1986, it is primarily used for football and athletics and has hosted national matches, concerts, political rallies and humanitarian uses. Published capacity figures vary by source (commonly cited as about 22,000 seats, while other directories list up to 35,000), and the stadium underwent major renovation works funded by China and completed in stages in 2005 and 2013–2017, with further refurbishments reported in 2022. [5][6]
The stadium was started before the 1980 coup that brought Samuel K. Doe to power and was completed and named in his honour in 1986.[7]
During Liberia's second civil war, thousands sought refuge in the stadium.[8] During Liberia's civil conflicts the complex was repeatedly used as an emergency refuge. Sources disagree on the peak number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltered at SKD: some contemporaneous reports and databases note figures in the tens of thousands (reports citing around 47,000–58,000 at various points in 2003), while UNHCR and ReliefWeb documentation records the organised relocation of about 18,000 IDPs from SKD in August 2003. The article therefore notes both figures and cites the original humanitarian reports for clarity. [9][10][11]
The stadium has had frequent problems with overcrowding, due on at least one occasion to illegal ticket sales.[12] In 2008, eight people died of suffocation following a football match, and in 2014, spectators were reported to have fainted.[12]
The stadium has been the site of international concerts, national political events, and multiple World Cup qualifying matches.[12] In 1988, the Reggae Sunsplash concert was held in SKD. The 24-hour long event featured Burning Spear, Yellowman, and other well-known roots and dancehall reggae artists flown in from Jamaica.[13] During the campaign for the Liberian general election in 2011 the Congress for Democratic Change held exclusive rallies in the stadium.[14]
In September 2005, a $7.6 million (~$11.4million in 2023) renovation funded by China was announced and Chinese company Hunan Constructing Engineering Group Corporation was named as the contractor.[16] After the two-year renovation was complete, Liberia lacked the expertise to manage the electronic scoreboard. The grass was badly damaged after a 2009 international women's conference.[17]
In October 2013, another agreement was signed between the governments of Liberia and China funding a $18 million (~$23.2million in 2023) renovation of the stadium.[18] The plans for the second renovation included the practice pitch and tennis courts that were not repaired six years earlier.[19] In February 2020, Shao Kaipeng of the Hebei Construction Group, the Chinese construction firm renovating the SKD, pleaded with Liberians to maintain the stadium. Shao said, "I do not understand why people will come to watch game and break the things that can make the stadium beautiful; why will they throw garbage on the stadium?" and requested that the government hire more people to clean the stadium and to provide security after games.[20]
Matches between Liberian county teams were reported in early 2014.[12]
Ebola treatment
During the Ebola virus epidemic in Liberia, SKD was the site of a Chinese-built Ebola treatment unit. The 100-bed hospital, constructed by the Chinese firm CNQC, was planned for 160 specialized medical personnel from China.[21] It opened in November 2014 with a ceremony attended by President Sirleaf[22] In May 2015 the ETU was decommissioned after treating 10 confirmed cases and admitting 110 patients.[23] The 20-room facility and its more than 920,000 items, including more than 1,500 kinds of medical instruments and materials worth approximately $7 million, was turned over to the Liberian government.[23] As part of the ceremony, President Sirleaf was presented with a flag of the People's Liberation Army medical team.[23]
In August 2015, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi visited SKD stadium and met with Chinese workers.[24]
↑ Armstrong, Gary (3 February 2012). "Terrorizing defences: Sport in the Liberian civil conflict". International Review for the Sociology of Sport. 47: 358–378.
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