By Steve Vickers BBC Sport, Lusaka

The grandstand is composed of decaying concrete benches

There are growing fears in Zambia that the continuing use of the Independence Stadium could end in tragedy.

The 42-year-old venue has a grandstand composed of decaying concrete benches held up by rusting steel rafters.

Serious safety concerns led the government to close the ground in 2004, but the ban was subsequently lifted.

The Independence Stadium hosted last month's Cosafa Cup final but was condemned afterwards by the Cosafa secretary Ashford Mamelodi who said people's lives were at risk.

"We're only using it because there's no alternative venue of a similar size," Zambia's vice-president Rupiyah Banda told BBC Sport.

He added: "President Mwanawasa is committed to building three new stadia and we'd like to attract teams to come and train here ahead of the 2010 World Cup."

I'd say that demolishing and rebuilding a new stadium is the best solution Chiku Mulenga Lusaka civil engineer

But until then, it seems that the Independence Stadium will still be used, with a cap on the numbers allowed in the grandstand.

But many supporters are worried about their safety when watching matches the stadium which was built for Zambia's independence celebrations in 1964.

"We risk our lives going but we love football, so we just have to go," one fan told BBC Sport.

Lusaka-based civil engineer Chiku Mulenga roundly condemned the condition of the grandstand.

"It would need a full feasibility study to know the stability but in general I'd say the whole place needs total reconstruction.

"There are many broken concrete slabs and the reinforcements are exposed, which is unacceptable as they have rusted and weakened the structure.

"The steel poles supporting the roof are very rusty, and where you have welded joints and rust it's very dangerous because cracks begin to form in the joints."

Although the remainder of the stadium looks more solid than the grandstand, Mulenga also suggested that it is hazardous.

"The steel members are rusty, and rust weakens steel. Professionally I'd say that demolishing and rebuilding a new stadium is the best solution."

But opposition MP Vitalis Mooya, also an engineer, defended the stadium in his maiden speech in Parliament last week, although by his own admission he has not been to the venue for more than 10 years!

"It's not a death trap because if it was, government would have already moved in to correct it," he said.

Besides the commitment to build new stadia by 2010, Zambia will host the 2011 All-Africa Games, an undertaking that will require a massive construction programme of facilities for many sporting disciplines.