By Wale Mustapha
Abia Warriors have received approval from the Akwa Ibom State Government to use the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo as their home ground for the 2024/25 CAF Confederation Cup campaign.
Club chairman John Obuh confirmed the development on Tuesday while speaking about the team’s preparations for both the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season and their debut continental outing.
Abia Warriors secured qualification for Africa’s second-tier club competition after finishing third in the NPFL last season — the highest league finish in the club’s history.
“We have secured the Akwa Ibom State Government’s approval to use Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, for our home matches,” Obuh told CompleteSports.com.
“We know the nature of the competition we’re entering and the responsibility it places on us. It’s our first time on the continent, and we want to make the most of it.”
Obuh added that the club is on track to meet the Confederation of African Football (CAF) registration deadline and requirements.
“We’ve studied the details and I can assure you there’s no cause for alarm — we’ll meet the criteria.”
Abia Warriors will represent Nigeria in the Confederation Cup alongside Kwara United, who qualified after winning the President Federation Cup.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
