Confusion As Stadium Declared Unfit Still Listed For NPFL Match

Confusion As Stadium Declared Unfit Still Listed For NPFL Match

By Niyi Busari 

Confusion has emerged over the venue for Remo Stars’ Matchday 24 fixture in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) after the league scheduled the club’s home game at a stadium it had earlier declared unfit for league matches, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The NPFL recently ruled that the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan no longer meets the required standard to host home games for Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), citing the deteriorating condition of the facility. As a result, the Ibadan-based club was directed to seek an alternative venue for its home fixtures.

The decision came just hours after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) approved a request by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to move Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifying match against Senegal from the same stadium.

However, despite the ban, the NPFL’s official confirmation of Matchday 24 fixtures listed the encounter between Remo Stars and Plateau United as taking place at the Lekan Salami Stadium, raising questions about the league’s scheduling process.

The NFF had reduced the Remo Stars home ban to five matches following an appeal against sanctions imposed by the NPFL over crowd disturbances during their match against Ikorodu City last Saturday.

In a statement issued after a disciplinary committee meeting held earlier in the week, the federation confirmed that while several financial penalties were upheld, the directive requiring Remo Stars to play all remaining home matches away from their base in Ikenne had been reviewed.

As of the time of filing this report, Remo Stars were still uncertain about the venue for their Matchday 24 home fixture, with the stadium listed by the NPFL already deemed unfit to host league matches.