CAFCL: Goodswill Akpabio Stadium Scales Hurdle, Meets CAF List Of Approved Venues

CAFCL: Goodswill Akpabio Stadium Scales Hurdle, Meets CAF List Of Approved Venues

Sampson Adedeji

Nigeria’s representative Rivers United hopes of hosting home matches in the CAF Champions League have been boosted as the Goodwill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo has received approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for use in the group stage of the competition, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The inspection and approval come as part of CAF’s broader stadium assessment exercise aimed at ensuring all venues meet international standards in safety, facilities, and broadcast quality.

The approval means that Nigeria’s representatives in the prestigious continental competition will host their home games at the Uyo-based arena, which has consistently met CAF’s evolving standards in recent years.

According to the list released by CAF, Morocco leads the continent with 12 approved stadiums, followed by South Africa (10), Algeria (7), Ivory Coast (6), and Egypt (5) rounding out the top five.

A major surprise from the list is Tunisia, which has only one approved stadium despite its rich football tradition and multiple clubs featuring regularly in continental competitions.

Meanwhile, several African nations were left off the approved list entirely.

There are currently no approved stadiums in the Central African Republic, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Lesotho, Namibia, São Tomé, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

CAF’s inspection teams are expected to continue their work across the continent, with more venues likely to be added as upgrades and renovations are completed in compliance with CAF’s rigorous standards.

The inclusion of the Goodwill Akpabio Stadium is seen as a significant boost for Nigerian football and a testament to Akwa Ibom State’s consistent investment in maintaining one of Africa’s best football infrastructures.