By Kunle Solaja.

Sixty-eight years after the foundation was laid for what became the first modern stadium in West Africa, the historic Liberty Stadium, now known as Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, stands today as a symbol of Nigeria’s sporting heritage, though largely sustained by memories of its glorious past.

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, marks 68 years since the foundation-laying ceremony of the iconic arena conceived by the government of the former Western Region to commemorate the region’s attainment of self-government. The stadium was later renamed after the region’s premier, Obafemi Awolowo, whose administration championed the project.

Despite its historical significance, the once-celebrated sporting complex has suffered decades of neglect, particularly after its takeover by the Federal Government in 1976. Today, the arena that once earned the reputation as the “Pride of Africa” largely survives on memories of the landmark events it hosted.

The Nigerian national team last played at the stadium on July 9, 1983, defeating Togo 2–1 in a qualifying match for the 1984 Summer Olympics football tournament.

Liberty Stadium occupies about 40 acres of a 75-acre hillside site that rises gradually toward the northeast summit. Construction of the facility cost £521,050, with an additional £38,000 spent on land acquisition and £35,000 on building the approach road.

The idea for the stadium was conceived in 1957 by Gabriel Akin-Deko, then the Western Region’s Minister of Agriculture. The regional government subsequently established a planning committee comprising ministers and sports administrators, including J.O. Adigun, J.O. Oshuntokun, and J.O. Adebiyi, alongside athletics representatives Chief J.O. Ajiwunmi and J.B. Ojo.

The stadium was designed by chartered architect J.E.K. Harrison in collaboration with the Western Region Ministry of Works and Transport. Construction was carried out through direct labour by the ministry, with structural engineering support from Ove Arup and Partners and steel works executed by the Nigerian Steel Construction Company.

Officially opened on September 30, 1960—on the eve of Nigeria’s independence—the stadium quickly established itself as a major sporting venue. Its first international match came two days later when the Ghana national football team defeated Mali 5–1 in a semi-final match of the Kwame Nkrumah Cup on October 2, 1960. Ghana’s Aggrey Fynn scored after 15 minutes, becoming the first player to score in a full international match at the venue.

The stadium also hosted Nigeria’s first floodlit football match on October 11, 1960, when the Western Region team, Western Rovers, defeated Portuguese Guinea—now Guinea-Bissau—3–2.

Technologically advanced for its time, the stadium featured an underground drainage system designed to disperse heavy rain without flooding the pitch. The playing surface was meticulously maintained by Joseph Ogunyemi, the first Nigerian trained and appointed as stadium manager.

Before assuming the role in December 1959, Ogunyemi underwent 18 months of specialist training at major British sporting venues, including Wembley Stadium and White City Stadium, as well as the athletics ground of the University of London. He also attended technical courses in Paris and at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

However, his departure coincided with the gradual deterioration of the once-lush playing field, which became plagued by aridity, weed encroachment and neglect, symbolic of the wider decline of the historic facility.

Today, as Liberty Stadium marks another anniversary, it remains a monument to a visionary era in Nigerian sports infrastructure, one whose legacy still resonates even as the facility awaits meaningful revival.

Join the  Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after co-host, ​the U.S. launched airstrikes alongside Israel, Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said on Wednesday.

The attacks killed the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali ‌Khamenei, and triggered a region-wide conflict.

“Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” the minister told state television.

The 48-team World Cup will be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

“Our children are not safe and, fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist,” Donyamali said.

“Given ​the malicious actions they have carried out against Iran, they have forced two wars on us over eight or nine months and have killed and martyred thousands of our people. Therefore, we certainly cannot have such a presence.”

More than 1,300 Iranian civilians have ⁠been killed since the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, according to Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani.

IRAN DRAWN TO PLAY IN LA ​AND SEATTLE

Iran are grouped with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.

All three of their Group G matches are scheduled to take place in the U.S., two in Los ​Angeles and one in Seattle.

Iran, who dominated the Asian qualifying rounds to qualify for the tournament in March last year, was the only nation missing from a FIFA planning summit for World Cup participants held last week in Atlanta.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian Football Federation or world soccer’s governing body FIFA.

FIFA regulations state that any team that ​withdraws from the tournament “no later than 30 days before the first match” will be fined at least 250,000 Swiss francs ($320,800).

“Disciplinary sanctions may include the expulsion ​of the participating member association concerned from subsequent FIFA competitions and/or the replacement of the participating member association with another member association,” FIFA’s regulations say.

“The FIFA Council or the ‌relevant committee ⁠may decide, in particular, to replace the member association in question with another association.”

Iran had selected Tucson’s sprawling Kino Sports Complex as the team’s base camp and 18 months of preparation hang in the balance with a potential economic hit in Arizona.

There is also the question of tickets to World Cup games involving Iran. Should Iran boycott the tournament, Iranian fans who bought tickets for eye-watering prices may be tempted to sell them on the huge resale market.

INFANTINO SAYS TRUMP WELCOMES IRAN ​TEAM

Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said ​he had met U.S. President Donald ⁠Trump, who told him he welcomed Iran’s participation in the World Cup.

Trump had previously said “I really don’t care” if Iran participated or not, but Infantino said he had a productive discussion with the president.

“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that ​the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said.

A ​source in Tehran familiar ⁠with the matter said that as well as Iran’s decision not to attend the World Cup, warm-up games were not possible because of the war.

Earlier this week, Australia granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women soccer players after they sought asylum, fearing persecution on their return home for their refusal to sing the national anthem at ⁠a Women’s ​Asian Cup match.

Trump had called on Australia to give asylum to members of the Iran ​women’s soccer team.

On Wednesday, Australian police helped two more members of the Iranian women’s soccer delegation slip their minders to claim asylum, but one has changed her mind and decided to go back to ​Iran, the country’s interior minister said.

-Reuters

Join the  Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Angola have cancelled planned friendlies this month against Jordan and Iran, the Angolan Football Federation ​said in a statement.

They were due to ‌take on Jordan and Iran, who have both qualified for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S ​later this year, in Dubai at the ​end of March.

“The aggravation of the current conflict ⁠in the Middle East and the consequent instability ​that is felt in the region meant a ​serious, prudent and responsible re-evaluation,” the statement said.

Angolan officials said they tried to seek an alternative for the match against ​Jordan but “after a deep and rigorous evaluation of ​the financial obligations involved, the required logistical and administrative effort ‌and ⁠the respective competitive benefit for the national team, it has been concluded that playing just one game would not rationally and strategically be justified”.

Angola said ​they were ​therefore cancelling ⁠plans to play in the March international window. The country did not qualify ​for the 2026 World Cup and will ​play ⁠their next competitive fixture in September when the group qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations ⁠finals ​kick off.

They recently fired French ​coach Patrice Beaumelle and have yet to appoint a successor.

-Reuters

Join the  Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H