By: Thomas Kojo Roulhac
Monrovia—The Samuel Kanyon Doe (SKD) Sports Complex, once a proud monument of Liberian sports, now stands in a state of disarray. Once the home of exhilarating football matches, vibrant concerts, and national celebrations, the stadium has fallen into neglect, symbolizing a broader issue of overlooked infrastructure.
The once majestic complex now finds itself overwhelmed by overgrown weeds, creeping vines, and heaps of garbage. The vibrant murals that once adorned the walls are now barely visible beneath layers of dirt and decay. The roads leading to the front entrance, which once welcomed thousands of fans, are now flanked by towering weeds, making the stadium nearly unrecognizable.
Football fans are increasingly concerned about the public health hazards posed by the accumulating trash.
“It’s disheartening to see the stadium front in such a condition,” said Morris Johnson, a 32-year-old sports lover who attended the Fassell vs. Invincible Eleven game on November 28, 2024. “The stench of the garbage and the overgrown weeds make the stadium a terrible place to watch a game.”
Johnson noted that people have to hold their noses to tolerate the smell while heading into the stadium. Large open garbage dumps can be hazardous to human health, emitting toxic gases that nearby persons may inhale and allowing diseases to be carried by mosquitoes, flies, and rodents. Despite being aware of the health implications, residents of the SKD community have no other means but to use the road to enter the stadium facility.
Vivian Day-you-gar, a resident of the SKD Community who prepares and sells food near the stadium during international games, shared her frustrations. “The stench of garbage, overgrown grass, rats, and flies scares our customers away. We are very tired of this dirt. We are getting sick day and night,” she said, calling on the Ministry of Youth and Sports to clean the front of the facility and not just the inside. She mentioned that the garbage and weeds are now reaching the height of the SKD fence.
“The last time I saw MYS people cleaning outside here was during the 2023/2024 National County Sports meet, and they only piled the dirt together without removing it,” Day-you-gar added. She called for the garbage site around the fence to be relocated to prevent further health risks to fans, noting that rats and other insects are posing a threat to their health.
When contacted at the SKD Practice Pitch, the Deputy Minister for Administration of MYS, Henry B. Yonton Jr., said he will speak at the appropriate time. “Are you a journalist and what’s the issue [SKD]? I will speak at the appropriate time,” he said before walking to a small drinking spot with bananas in his hands.
Despite the current state of the SKD Sports Complex, the community remains hopeful that their calls for action will be heard and that the stadium will be restored to its former glory.
