Rangers to stage CAF Champions League home ties at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne

Nigeria Premier Football League champions Rangers International will play their CAF Champions League preliminary-round home matches at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne after reaching a venue agreement with the Ogun State club.

Rangers, who secured the 2025/26 NPFL title with a 2-1 win over Ikorodu City on the final day of the season, qualified automatically for the preliminary stage of Africa’s premier club competition but were left without a CAF-approved ground in Enugu.

Their long-standing home, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium – widely known as The Cathedral – is currently closed for renovation work and does not yet satisfy the Confederation of African Football’s criteria for hosting international fixtures.

Club officials have therefore opted to adopt Remo Stars’ ground, which already holds CAF approval, as a temporary base for their continental campaign, according to online reports including Soccernet.ng and Nigerian analyst MikeThePundit.

Temporary move while Enugu stadium upgraded

The Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium is undergoing extensive upgrades aimed at boosting capacity and bringing the facility fully into line with CAF regulations for continental matches.

Until that project is completed, the Flying Antelopes will host their CAF Champions League home legs in Ikenne, more than 400km away from their traditional base in Enugu.

Remo Stars Stadium has a capacity of around 5,000 and features modern infrastructure that meets CAF’s minimum standards. The venue has already staged several international fixtures, making it a ready-made option for Rangers as they return to the continent.

Nigerian representation confirmed

Only the top two sides in the NPFL earn tickets to the CAF Champions League, and at the end of the 2025/26 campaign Rangers International finished as champions, with Rivers United taking the runners-up spot.

Both clubs will represent Nigeria in the competition’s preliminary rounds as they attempt to reach the group stage, which comprises 16 clubs split into four groups of four.

Although Rangers arrive as domestic champions, they must still come through a two-legged tie in the opening preliminary phase – and potentially a second – before booking a place in the lucrative league phase.

Recent continental record and schedule

Rangers’ most recent appearance in the CAF Champions League came last year, when they fell at the second preliminary round. The Enugu side were edged out 3-2 on aggregate by Angolan team Sagrada Esperanca, ending their run before the group stage.

Fidelis Ilechukwu and his coaching staff have already stepped up preparations ahead of this season’s preliminary round, which is scheduled to begin on 4 September.

With their Enugu ground out of commission, Rangers will be looking to turn the Remo Stars Stadium into a temporary fortress as they seek to improve on last year’s early exit and extend their stay on the continental stage.