Sports Minister, Sunday Dare has ordered clubs in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to desist from using the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja for the meantime.
The ordered was issued on the backdrop of the Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro’s complain about the poor state of the playing surface following Sunday’s training session.
The Super Eagles also did not train on the pitch on Monday to allow groundsmen to put it in proper shape before Thursday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Leone Stars of Sierra.
They had their training on Monday at the practice pitch of the stadium.
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“The pitch can be used only for matches involving the national teams,” an official of the sports ministry Mohammed Manga told NAN.
“We have to keep the stadium’s main pitch in good shape for use for international matches involving the national teams,” he said.
Recall that Kano Pillars were banished to Abuja by the League Management Company following crowd trouble in their home clash against Katsina United.
8 Comments
Every football coach in the world complains about the state of Nigerian pitches, but the NFF and Ministry of Sports stuff their ears with grass and never listen. Bushmen were holding political rallies in the MKO Abiola stadium only last week.
Nigeria cannot plant and maintain grass in its National Stadium but has over 100 universities and research institutes offerring courses in agriculture and horticulture!
Potatoe field as refered to by Pablo Zabaleta when Argentina played SE in there 4-1 loss during Siasia tenure.
Spot on @ Ako Amadi the NFF or sports ministry need to consult IITA in Ibadan and ask how to do it.
Or this could be a good yearly project for an agric department. OAU is another uni with a good sports stadium in the 80s not sure if they still maintain the standard.
Students and lecturers alike could benefit from this with money being wasted could be used as scholarship fund to be renewed yearly
Oga if the pitch is of good standard any team can use it at any time. That is the effect of shoddy job. We know it is a sub standard job that was done on that stadium just to amuse the eyes. Stadium that was commissioned this year and was quoted to have spent billions of naira is now being complained on hmmmmmn. So Mr Pinnick can listen to complain if it is Rohr that complained like that he would have told him to shut up. Karma will truly find all of you out.
*Mr Minister
Last time Gernot Rohr complained about the quality of the pitch at the Tesiim Balogun Stadium the Minister Mr. Dare fired back, “LET HIM WATCH HIS TONGUE!” This new coach, Jose Peseiro will not last a year before he gets the sack and Eguavoen and Amuneke and Yobo are reinstated. BET ME!!
What a way to promote and improve our league!!. Bravo Mr. Minister, after accusing Rhor of not improving the league which wasn’t his job to begin with, you then showed you insensitivity and disdain for the league you pretended to care about. Ban the league from using the stadium but okays political parties to use it for campaign rallies what a joke. Mr. Dare is a disgrace.