CAF Approves Abuja Stadium for World Cup Playoff with Ghana

Duro Ikhazuagbe

The newly refurbished turf of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja has been given the nod as the venue for Nigeria’s 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff second leg tie against Ghana by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

This is the first major event that the Abuja Stadium is going to play host to after several years of been left idle due to the poor state of its playing turf.

Africa’s business mogul, Aliko Dangote, bankrolled the refurbishment of the facility to give Super Eagles and other national teams a permanent home and stop them from nomadic merry-go-round the country.

But yesterday, CAF conveyed its decision on where the second leg of the World Cup will take place in a letter addressed to the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi.

The letter read in part: “Please note that the approved stadium will be set as the venue to host the match Nigeria vs Ghana related to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 playoff round.

“Nonetheless, please find attached in Annex A the inspection comments and remarks addressed in the coming period by your association, in order to guarantee that the stadium is maintained in list of CAF approved stadiums for senior competitions.

“Among other aspects mentioned in the report, the stadium management is requested to ensure that the playing surface area, floodlights and the dressing room are brought to the required level to host this important match,” read the CAF letter made available to THISDAY.

While the venue for the second leg of the playoff in Nigeria is certain, the Ghana Football Federation is yet to decide on the stadium that will host the first leg.

The Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi it proposed after the Cape Coast Stadium it earlier scheduled for the match may not be available as it is going to host Ghana’s independence celebration was rejected by CAF.

The first leg is fixed for March 24 with the return leg to hold five days later in Abuja.