WHEN WILL ONDO STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS START PLAYING AT HOME

 Writer: Abiodun Ajibade Caleb

since the 2012 edition of the Nigeria Premier League kicked off in January, the major question asked by football lovers in the state has been, when are we going to be given the opportunity to watch our football teams in the state play live? Many of them are of the opinion that they have been kept in the dark about the performances of the state owned football teams since they play their home matches in another state.


Since the commencement of the upgrading of five major stadia across the state, the fans have been deprived of watching the clubs, each of which had been their pride in the past. In 2010 when the state senior football club, Sunshine Stars, made the state proud in the top flight League and qualified as one of the three football clubs to represent the country in the 2011 Confederations cup for the first time in the history of the club, the state football lovers jumped for joy that they would watch an international football match being played in Ondo state, particularly in Akure Township Stadium. Those who had not been watching the team at all were prepared to see the Ondo state teams but the joy was short-lived when both teams relocated to Ogun State, thereby making it difficult for Supporters to watch. 

Expressing their displeasure over the snail pace at which the work on the stadia is going, some of the fans of the state-owned football clubs said, “In fact we are really disappointed that we were not able to watch all the Nigerian football matches throughout last season because of the stadium which is being upgraded, all of us were already tired of the concrete floor we used to sit on.”I believe Ondo State Sports Complex is supposed to have been upgraded from what it used to be in the past. If we have got a befitting stadium it would the delight of fans to watch football matches. Even some of us still took the pain to go as far as Ijebu ode to watch their home matches, now that transport fares have increased, I don’t think many of us can do that again.

Another supporter who would rather remain anonymous, said that he doubts if a genuine work was going on in the stadium, saying” to me I don’t believe the governor will complete the stadium. If this government will complete it at all, its going to be 'amulumala' (anyhow). The governor promised that they wanted to do spectators seats round the pitch but we can see that nothing has been done in that respect. It’s only the existing seats that have been repainted & I believe that will be the last beautification the seating arrangement would receive. 


However, to the chairman of the Ondo State Football Agency, Chief Segun Adagunodo,"not playing home matches at home has helped the teams to build up confidence to play better under tension. By the time the football pitch is completed, the players would have gained enough confidence but the state government is looking into how the football pitch at the Akure Stadium will be completed soon. The challenges will be over & the contractors are also ready to go back to the site and commence work"

The Astroturf of the akure football pitch have been laid and the posts, lines and flags already intact which made the pitch seem ready to be used, but the question, “WHEN WOULD THE STADIUM BE READY FOR USE? Is still left unanswered as the contractor is battling with the race tracks, dressing rooms, spectator’s seats and many other things that are yet to be ready in the stadium.