The Akwa Ibom State Government has started renovation work on the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, pitch ahead of next month’s 2018 FIFA Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Algeria, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) revealed yesterday.
The NFF revealed that it wrote to Governor Udom Emmanuel advising the state to repair the stadium’s pitch following some complaints by Super Eagles’ players after last month’s 2017 Cup of Nations qualifier against Tanzania.
On Saturday, the federation inspected the stadium to see the state of the pitch, where the state’s officials intimated it of the extent of work carried out so far.
The NFF’s inspection team, led by the Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, and including Assistant Director (Technical), Siji Lagunju and Chief Sports Officer, Sunday Okayi, was received and taken on the tour of the venue by Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Monday Uko, and the Commissioner for Special Duties, Engineer Etido Inyang.
The Consultant to Julius Berger, the worldrenowned construction company handling the work, was also with the team.
The NFF has fixed a second inspection for October 25, while the final inspection will come up on November 2.
“It is a task that we are approaching with all seriousness, and we want to appreciate the Akwa Ibom State Government for the seriousness that it is also attaching to this important task,” Ikpeme told thenff.com.
Earlier on October 13, NFF’s First Vice President, Seyi Akinwunmi and Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee, Chris Green, as well as Ikpeme, held a meeting with Uko to discuss logistics in order to ensure seamless organization of the big match.
Also on Thursday, the NFF Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Ikpeme led First Vice President of the Algeria Football Federation, Mr. Abdelwahab Djahid Zefizef, on a guided tour of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, following a written request to that effect by the FAF.
African Qualifying Series Group B leaders, Nigeria, host Algeria’s Fennecs at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on November 12 in one of the Matchday 2 encounters.
