Kamuzu Stadium

Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre carries its history in its architecture. This structure dates from 1968, when original architects L Jeffery and Steve Price completed the work. The ground is artificial turf, green and uniform.

The stadium was built between 1954 and 1955 by the British colonial government of Nyasaland. It opened as Rangeley Stadium named after William H. J. Rangeley, a civil servant. After Malawi gained independence in 1964, the name changed to Kamuzu Stadium, honouring President Hastings Kamuzu Banda. It was briefly Chichiri Stadium in the 1990s under President Bakili Muluzi before reverting to Kamuzu in 2004. The pitch received a new layer of artificial surface in 2018 through a FIFA programme, replacing the installation laid down in 2008.

When a match takes place, the concrete stands fill with spectators. The atmosphere shifts when the national team plays; before 2017, Kamuzu hosted international fixtures until Bingu National Stadium opened in Lilongwe. The highest crowds gathered here for matches against Cameroon in 1980, Zambia in 2002, and Zimbabwe in 2003. The original capacity was 65,000, though safety regulations reduced the licensed number for football to 14,600 by 2018. The ground serves FCB Nyasa Big Bullets and Mighty Wanderers FC, and hosted the 2021 Airtel Top 8 Final. Rehabilitation work costing K1.5 billion was carried out in 2018, while plans for a new BAT Stadium continue to be discussed.