Former Nigeria forward Obinna Nsofor has called on Nigeria to prioritize the upkeep of its sporting facilities if the country aims to successfully host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Speaking in an interview with Brila FM, Nsofor criticized the deteriorating state of stadiums across the nation, attributing the decline to a lack of proper maintenance culture.
“In Nigeria, we don’t have a maintenance culture. We spend huge sums building stadiums, and after just a few years, everything starts falling apart. If we are serious about hosting AFCON, we must face the truth because CAF cannot approve facilities that are below standard,” Nsofor said.
He stressed that the country is currently ill-prepared to host the continental tournament due to inadequate infrastructure.
“The reality is Nigeria is not ready to host AFCON at this moment. We only have one stadium that meets CAF qualifying standards, and that’s embarrassing for a country like ours. A stadium like the Abuja National Stadium should never be in the state it is today,” he added.
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.
