 Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecôte, Kinshasa, October 2024 | |
 | |
| Full name | Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecôte |
|---|---|
| Former names | Kamanyola Stadium (1994–1997) |
| Location |  Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Capacity | 80,000 |
| Surface | Synthetic Lawn |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 14, 1998 |
| Built | October 14, 1993 |
| Opened | September 14, 1994 |
| Renovated | 2008, 2021 and 2023 |
| Construction cost | US$38,000,000 |
| Tenants | |
| DR Congo national football team (1994–present) AS Vita Club (1994–present) Daring Club Motema Pembe (1994–present) | |
The Stade des Martyrs de la Pentecôte (formerly known as Stade Kamanyola), or commonly referred to as the Stade des Martyrs, is the national stadium of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the Kinshasa commune of the capital Kinshasa. With a seating capacity of 80,000, it is the largest stadium in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the fourth-largest stadium in Africa. It serves as the home stadium for the Congolese football national team, Association Sportive Vita Club, and Daring Club Motema Pembe, making it the largest multifunctional venue in the country.[1][2]
Originally constructed in 1993, the stadium was renamed in 1997 to honor the ministers, including Évariste Kimba, Jérôme Anany, Emmanuel Bamba, and Alexandre Mahamba, who were publicly hanged in Léopoldville (present-day Kinshasa) on Pentecost, 2 June 1966.[3][4][5]
It hosted the 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie, which accommodated approximately 3,000 athletes from over 40 countries.[6][7]
- ^ Brockhaus, Hannah (2 February 2023). "Pope Francis to Congolese Youth: Prayer is Your Secret Weapon for Peace". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ Harlan, Chico (2 February 2023). "A rejuvenated Pope Francis revels in Congo's energy". Washington Post. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ Says, Felix Muthamia Mworia (2 June 2008). "ExecutedToday.com » 1966: Evariste Kimba and three other "plotters" against Mobutu". Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ Say, Michel-Ange Mupapa (2004). Le Congo et l'Afrique à l'orée du troisième millénaire: la pathogénie d'un sous-développement (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Presses universitaires du Congo. p. 214.
- ^ "100,000 in Congo See Hanging Of Ex-Premier and 3 Others". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ "Francophonie Games in Kinshasa moved back to 2022". www.insidethegames.biz. 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
- ^ "DR Congo intensifies street security ahead of Francophone Games". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-07-28.