MKO Abiola Stadium Abeokuta cleared to host Remo Stars, Kwara United’s continental

By Dayo Awoniyi

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially approved the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta as the home ground for Remo Stars and Kwara United in their respective continental campaigns, Nigeria Footballng reports.

With Remo Stars’ Ikenne Stadium still under renovation, the reigning NPFL champions will continue to adopt the Ogun State capital as their temporary base. Daniel Ogunmodede’s men, who have already played their early league fixtures at the facility, are now set to host U.S. Zilimadjou of Comoros in their CAF Champions League preliminary round clash at the same venue.

In an unusual twist, U.S. Zilimadjou have also chosen Abeokuta as their adopted home for the return leg, recognising the upgrades carried out by the NPFL champions on the facility. This means both ties will be played in Nigeria, a development that could hand the Sky Blue Stars a huge advantage as they chase a maiden passage beyond the preliminary stage.

The first leg will be staged on Sunday, September 21, with the return leg following on Friday, September 26. Both fixtures will kick off at 4:00 pm. Victory over the Comorian champions would set up a blockbuster tie against South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns in the next round.

Meanwhile, Kwara United, Nigeria’s Federation Cup holders, will also call Abeokuta home in the CAF Confederation Cup after their Ilorin Township Stadium failed to meet CAF’s hosting requirements despite upgrades backed by the Kwara State Government.

Tunde Sanni’s Harmony Boys are drawn against Ghanaian heavyweights Asante Kotoko. They travel to Accra this Sunday for the first leg before returning to Abeokuta for the decisive second leg on Sunday, September 28, also scheduled for a 4:00 pm kickoff.

With continental dreams on the line, Ogun State’s MKO Abiola Stadium is set to become the focal point of Nigerian club football over the coming weeks.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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