AFCON
WHY WE STRUCK AT NATIONAL STADIUM LAGOS – NAVY COMMODORE NESIAMA
Demolition exercise is on-going at the National Stadium, Lagos. Targeted are illegal structures that have distorted the once tourists attracting edifice that hosted international events.
However, according to reports in ThisDay newspaper, there had been outcry from a section of the public since the pulling down of business structures within the arena commenced.
The newspaper quoted the Co-chairman of the Ministerial Committee of the restoration’ of the edifice, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (rtd) as saying that the exercise was done in the interest of the country.
Last week, the 48-year old edify went under bulldozer with over 120 structures demolished including the popular pubs like O’Jez and Old Skool restaurants. The general outcry was largely centered on the disruption of economic lifeline of largely middle and low level business owners.
The timing was also cited in the outcry. However, the retired naval officer in an interview with Thisday said that all the occupants are aware of the demolition exercise but it’s just unfortunate that many have to sacrifice their respective means of livelihood at a time everyone is adjusting to the present reality.
“We gave every affected individual proper notification which is a normal thing between landlord and tenants and in this case there was even an extension of the process so that nothing is lost aside losing rented apartment.
“It is interesting to note that we have two categories of occupants namely Illegal ones with little or no case for their predicament and the legal ones operating illegally on government property.
“After engaging all of them individually and collectively last year, we had resolved that all those with evidence of legality will not renew their tenancy at the end of December last year and same thing applied to the other set who are here illegally.
“The Committee was working with a timeline to go ahead with the exercise in the first quarter of this year but Covid-19 which led to the lockdown slowed down the process.
“On a personal note I sympathy with all those affected but it is one action that will benefit the sport sector in the long run,” he explained.
Since 2004, the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, has been desolate with virtually all aspects of the complex, including the seats, tartan tracks, turf and the media centre in bad state.
All the stalls under the ramps leading to the main bowl of the complex have been demolished while offices in the areas harbouring some national sports associations were also not spared.
The most affected were the owners of the major businesses, popular O’jez which operates behind covered stand of the swimming pool area of the stadium and Old Skool located inside the Ayonate Boxing Gym.
The duo are said to have invested hundred on millions into the venture in the last couple of years.
However, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Lagos Chapter were spared in the exercise mainly because they are partners in sports development according to the report of the committee.
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.
This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.
Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.
His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.
Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.
The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.
According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.
He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.
According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,
After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.
Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.
Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.
“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.
He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”
Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.
“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.
The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.
Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.
Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations
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