Paul Biya Stadium, stadium in Cameroon
Paul Biya Omnisports Stadium, known as Olembe Stadium, is a multi-purpose venue in the Olembé locality about 13 km north of Yaoundé. Its continuous lower bowl of green, red and yellow seats rises in stepped tiers to 60,000 places, above which a flat white steel roof decorated in Cameroon's flag colours is carried on angled pillars and crisscrossing cables. A running track with red lanes borders the natural-grass pitch, and a blue screen hangs from the roof.
Construction began under Italy's Piccini group, which was replaced by Canada's Magil after delays and prefinancing problems; the official cost reached about $284 million (163 billion CFA). The first match was a World Cup qualifier on 3 September 2021, Cameroon beating Malawi 2–0. The stadium opened the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations on 9 January 2022 with Cameroon–Burkina Faso and hosted the final, but on 24 January a crush at an entrance gate killed eight people.
The venue is best visited on event days when matches and competitions take place. Visitors should check the schedule in advance and arrive early to secure a spot.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,769 contributors worldwide.
