The contractors, China Construction Fifth Engineering Division Corp. and China Construction International, won a $298 million contract to build a new soccer stadium in Guinea. While providing stadiums acted as a diplomatic tool for China in the Global South, this seems like a commercial transaction rather than ‘stadium diplomacy.’
The announcement came as the Confederation of African Football banned twenty of its member countries from hosting international games because their stadiums aren’t up to par, putting some World Cup qualifiers in doubt. Guinea will host the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament in 2025.