Top 10 Most Beautiful Stadiums in Africa

Most Beautiful Stadiums in Africa- Africa is home to many beautiful places, not excluding Sports Stadiums where major sporting activities like football are held.

Many characteristics make a good stadium and good design is definitely one of them. Asides from ensuring that everyone in the stadium has a great view of the pitch wherever they sit, the aesthetic structure of the stadium also makes or mars the perception of the stadium to the outside world.

This article will highlight the top 10 most beautiful stadiums in Africa. Let’s see how well you know your stadiums.

The Most Beautiful Stadium in Africa

Despite its age, South Africa’s Soccer City Stadium is the most beautiful stadium in Africa. It is located in Johannesburg South, South Africa. We will see more about the aesthetics of the stadium later in this post.

Top 10 Most Beautiful Stadiums in Africa

As we go further into this post. it is of vital importance to note that this article only highlights the most beautiful stadiums in Africa and not the largest. Therefore the list will be in accordance with aesthetic design and not capacity or necessary facilities. That said, here’s a list of the top 10 most beautiful stadiums in Africa.

10. Royal Bafokeng Stadium- South Africa

9. Stade de Marrakech- Morocco

8. The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium- South Africa

7. MKO Abiola Stadium- Nigeria

6. Akwa Ibom Stadium- Nigeria

5. Stade D’ Angondje- Gabon

4. Cape Town Stadium – South Africa

3. The Borg El Arab Stadium- Egypt

2. Moses Mabhida Stadium- South Africa

1. Soccer City Stadium- South Africa

10. Royal Bafokeng Stadium

Country: South Africa

South Africa is not only one of the most beautiful countries in Africa, but it also has many of the most beautiful stadiums too. The Royal Bafokeng Stadium is located in Phokeng near Rustenburg, a town in the country.

The Stadium was commissioned in 1999 and was used as the home stadium for Premier Soccer League club, Platinum Stars.

Royal Bafokeng Stadium has a capacity of over 44,500 seats. It is only one of South Africa’s 37 Stadiums.

9. Stade de Marrakech

Country- Morocco

Not every stadium in Africa is capable of hosting the Olympic games. But if there’s one with that capability, it would be Morocco’s Stade de Marrakech.

Apart from the outstandingly simple design, the stadium is located in one of the highbrow areas of the country.

The design reflects the architectural structure of one of the country’s popular cities, Marrakesh, with thick walls and towers. It was built by one of the best in the game- Gregotti Associate. Stade de Marrakech is the 9th on the list of most beautiful stadiums in Africa.

Here’s a pictorial backup for our claims.

 

8. The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

Country: South Africa 

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was opened in 2009 for the purpose of football and rugby sports. It is famously known to be the place where the 2010 FIFA world cup was held, barely one year after its opening.

The stadium is a 42,486-seater stadium and is one of the most beautiful stadiums in South Africa and the entire continent. 

 

7. MKO Abiola Stadium

Country: Nigeria

The MKO Abiola stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria.

The 60,000-seater stadium is home to the Nigerian National Football Team and the Nigerian National Under-17 and under-20 teams.

It was opened in 2003 and was formerly called the National Stadium, Abuja.

Here are more pictures of Africa’s 6th most beautiful stadium.

6. Akwa Ibom Stadium

Country: Nigeria.

If this list had been compiled ten years ago, the Akwa Ibom Stadium would have never been on it.

The stadium, otherwise known as the “Nest of Champions” or “Godswill Akpabio International Stadium” was opened in 2014 and has since been used for multiple social, cultural, and religious events asides from sports.

Since its opening, the 30,000-seater Akwa Ibom Stadium has thrown other stadiums in Nigeria off the list of the most beautiful stadiums in the country and the African continent altogether.

The Nest of Champions has become one of the most beautiful stadiums in Africa and would probably find a spot among the world’s top 50.

See some pictures below:

5. Stade D’ Angondje

Country Located: Gabon

The Stade D’ Angondje entered the list of most beautiful stadiums in Africa in 2011 when it was opened. It is currently the 5th most beautiful stadium in Africa and the most beautiful in the West-African country.

The stadium’s indoor aesthetics finely compliment the outer structure, qualifying the entire stadium to be on the list of the most beautiful stadiums in Africa.

Stade D’ Angondje is a 40, 000 capacity stadium.

 

4. Cape Town Stadium

Country Located: South Africa

The Cape Town Stadium is the fourth most beautiful stadium in Africa. It is an association football and Rugby union stadium built for the 2010 FIFA world cup.

It took architects like Point and GMP to come up with the beautiful interior and exterior design that the stadium is made up of.

See beautiful pictures of the Cape Town Stadium below:

 

3. The Borg El Arab Stadium

Country Located: Egypt

The 86,000-seater stadium is also referred to as the Egyptian Army Stadium. It was commissioned in 2005 in the Mediterranean sea resort in the Borg el Arab.

25% of the stadium is air-conditioned. This includes its salons, terrace, cloth changing rooms, and media center. The Borg El Arab stadium also features an administrative building and an 80-capacity housing center for the stadium workers.

The beautiful interiors of the stadium are what make it the third on the list of the most beautiful stadiums in Africa.

Here’s another picture of Egypt’s most beautiful stadium.

2. Moses Mabhida Stadium

Country Located: South Africa

The Moses Mabhida stadium is a multi-use stadium named after a former leader of the South African Communist Party, Moses Mncane Mbheki Mabhida.

The 55,500-seater stadium is the second on the list of most beautiful stadiums in Africa with amazing aesthetics and a symbolic design.

The Moses Mabhida stadium shares “the arch” in common with the Wembley stadium, thus both stadiums can be mistaken for each other at first sight.

The stadium design symbolizes unity among South Africans. The design was created by Gerhard le Roux.

Let’s take you on a pictorial tour of the second most beautiful stadium in Africa.

1. Soccer City Stadium- Most Beautiful Stadium in South Africa

Country Located: South Africa

Soccer City Stadium is the most beautiful stadium in Africa. It was opened in 1989 and despite the fact that some other stadiums have been opened after it, they still haven’t been able to beat the stylishness of the stadium.

The Soccer City Stadium design was inspired by the Calabash, a percussive instrument in African music. The 2010 world cup finals were held in the highly acclaimed stadium.

Here are some pictures of Africa’s most beautiful stadium.

 

 

 

Summary

No doubt, Africa is home to one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, with a great track record of hosting major world games.

Although most of the stadiums on this list are in South Africa, other countries would have more stadiums on the list if it were based on capacity or some other criteria.

For emphasis, here are the top 10 most beautiful stadiums in Africa.

1. Soccer City Stadium- South Africa

2. Moses Mabhida Stadium- South Africa

3. The Borg El Arab Stadium- Egypt

4. Cape Town Stadium – South Africa

5. Stade D’ Angondje- Gabon

6. Akwa Ibom Stadium- Nigeria

7. MKO Abiola Stadium- Nigeria

8. The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium- South Africa

9. Stade de Marrakech- Morocco

10. Royal Bafokeng Stadium- South Africa