Namboole Stadium will be world-class, give it time - Legend Jackson Mayanja to Ugandans

Ugandan football legend and coach Jackson Mayanja has asked Ugandans to be patient with the renovation of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

That way, the nation will, for the first time in history, be able to witness a world-class sporting facility.

"I've been there and seen what's being done there, and I can assure you that with time, we shall have a world-class stadium," Mayanja told Pulse Sports Uganda in an exclusive interview.

"Why the rush?" He asked before asserting: "The works there will give a whole new look of Namboole, aside from what has been there before."

Uganda's State Minister for Sport, Peter Ogwang, has been under fire from a section of the public about the completion and opening of the historical facility.

Shadow Minister for Sport Geofrey Kayemba Ssolo, notably, claimed Namboole wouldn't be available for the next FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

But Mayanja reiterated the need for patience: "Ugandans should give the Minister time. Some of us who have used this stadium before know. Let's give him time."

"Our focus shouldn't be on these games but the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations that we shall host. We need to have stadiums of the highest standard, and Namboole will be that."

Ogwang had assured Ugandans that the stadium would be ready for the games against Botswana and Algeria in June.

He later clarified that the stadium would be ready for sporting action this year.

Meanwhile, Mayanja is currently head coach at Sunrise FC in Rwanda and has turned the club from the relegation zone to eighth.

In less than ten games, he has drawn the attention and affection of the Sunrise faithful, earning himself the 'Professor' moniker.