CONFEDERATION CUP
*Gives nod to Enyimba, Rivers Utd home grounds
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has banished Nigeria’s CAF Confederation Cup debutants, Bayelsa United from their Yenagoa home ahead of their all-important second round clash against top Tunisian side SS Sfaxien.
THISDAY learnt yesterday that CAF took the painful decision following the poor technical report on the Samson Siasia Stadium after Bayelsa’s 4-2 home victory against their Guinean first round opponents last weekend.
It was further learnt that the African soccer governing body has already forwarded the decision to NFF alongside the list of approved stadiums for continental games at the club level.
The Enyimba Stadium Aba got CAF’s nod alongside the Port Harcourt home of Rivers United who zoomed into the CAF Champions League second round after beating Young Africans of Tanzania by 2-0 aggregate.
Other stadiums approved by CAF are the Mobolaji Johnson Arena (Onikan Stadium), Teslim Balogun Stadium, Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
With this development, Bayelsa United would be forced to play outside Yenagoa unless the state government moves quickly to work on the Samson Siasia arena.
The Bayelsa State government had before United’s first game awarded the contract for the renovation of the stadium, but the contractor was alleged to have messed up the playing turf.
A video had emerged on social media showing how a tricycle popularly called Keke Napep was being used to work on the pitch constructed by Monimichelle Group.
The CEO of Monimichelle, Ebi Egbe, a Bayelsa indigene has since dissociated his company from the shoddy renovation work being done on the 5,000-capacity stadium.
