Bring the sport in the middle of the jungle. This is the challenge that has put a strain on the Mondo team, but gave great satisfaction for having exceeded its own problems that were never encountered before.
Create an advanced facility for successfully promoting the sport across the nation – with this objective in mind the Angolan authorities asked Mondo to create Mbuco Mabel Stadium. This is now the ideal place to train future champions in disciplines such as football, handball, basketball, athletics, and football in five. A fascinating and challenging project at the same time, which meant that Mondo had to rely on all its skills and experience to meet the needs of the Angolan government and to overcome the logistical challenges related to the location of the stadium in the middle of the jungle.
The completion of Mbuco Mabel Municipal Stadium was a moment of great satisfaction for both the Angolan authorities and Mondo. The location of Buco-Zau, a town with a population of about 40,000 inhabitants in the province of Cabinda, in the middle of the jungle, which was chosen for the construction of the installation, was a challenge that initially appeared to be impossible to overcome. The state of infrastructure, such as the roads and the limited water supply could have been an insurmountable obstacle in the completion of the project. However, the experience of Mondo allowed them to manage the delivery of materials and the transfer of the working team on site without big problems. “Meeting deadlines was a real miracle. All the material came from Portugal without a single screw lost,” says proudly, Joao Pedro Marques, Sales Director of Mondo Portugal. Being able to build a stadium in the middle of the jungle in Angola, without jeopardizing the quality of the installation, it is a source of great pride for the company of Alba, having been witnesses of the enthusiasm of the local population at the end of the work. “It was an impressive marathon, especially for the logistical problems,” continued Marques, “but in the end the result pleased everyone, including Buco-Zau citizens.”
The construction of the Mbuco Mabel Stadium was the result of hard work and preparation. First, the area for the installation was completely cleared of trees, bushes, and other vegetation. Then, the ground was leveled and the area was prepared before applying the bituminous layer. Then it was the task of the positioning of the irrigation and drainage systems, next occurred the laying of the artificial turf. At this point, barriers and fences surrounding the field were erected and the stands’ structures were assembled. The components of the embankment were assembled to form a single unit. After the football field, concerns arose about the track, with the application of an adhesive layer to the asphalt layer, and the subsequent laying of sports flooring. “After a process of finishing and retouching of all components, the work was finally successfully completed. In the end, we celebrated with a memorable opening ceremony that was attended by all children in the area,” recalled Marques.
All facilities provided by the project were completed, from changing rooms to the technical rooms, besides the completion of the stands, the football field with synthetic grass, the track with 8 lanes, and the adjoining multi-purpose field. Mbuco Mabel Stadium is the first football field in the province of Cabinda and the use of advanced facilities and latest technology, approved by the international federations, makes it a very high-quality sports center. For the football field, in fact, Mondoturf Monofeel NSF artificial grass system was used, while for the athletics track Sportrack flooring was chosen and Sportflex Impronta Foca for the multi-purpose field. The seats chosen for stands were Mondoseat 6. “We've always taken care to select the best products for every project in Africa. Of course, the installation requires more maintenance, but from that point of view we paid attention to choose the right equipment and to provide an adequate training for local managers. This philosophy is an integral part of our company,” said Joao Pedro Marques.
“Buco-Zau district has now a large football stadium with top-class facilities, thanks to the professionalism and hard work of Mondo,” said Anibal Rocha, the Governor of Cabinda Province and Head of sports projects in this region of Angola.