Abeokuta to host Super Falcons, Cameroon friendly

The newly renovated MKO Abiola Sports Complex is expected to turn into a beehive with various continental sporting events earmarked for the facility this year.

Originally refurbished for this month’s National Sports Festival in Ogun State, the facility has been chosen to host one of two international friendlies between Nigeria’s Super Falcons and their Cameroonian counterparts, Indomitable Lionesses next month.

The complex will also host an Under 17 West African Football Union WAFU B Tournament scheduled for  September 2025.

The Nigeria Football Federation NFF boss Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau made this known when he led other executive members of the country’s soccer governing body on a courtesy call to the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, in Abeokuta on Sunday.

“We have arranged two-legged matches; the first leg will be played on May 31st, and the second will be played on June 3rd.

“So, we plan to play the first match on May 31st at Remo Stars Stadium, and the second match will be played in Abeokuta, so the match on June 3rd will be held at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex.

“As the acting President of WAFU B, I have tried to secure the hosting rights for the Under-17 qualifications from WAFU B, which will consist of about seven countries: Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Togo, Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria.

“We secured the hosting rights, and I informed them that we are going to host it in Ogun State,” he said.

In his remarks, Governor Abiodun appreciated the management of the NFF for restructuring and repositioning the country’s top-flight club competition.

Governor Abiodun also stated that his administration is working towards developing a sports economy in the state, saying that all hands are on deck to ensure that the National Sports Festival becomes a reference point in hosting multi sports competitions in the country.

The Governor also showered praises on Remo Stars Football Club for lifting the Nigeria Premier Football League NPFL trophy, noting it had been over twenty years since a football club from the state or the Southwest achieved such a feat.

“We will build an economy around sports, and I want to thank you for supporting us in that. Besides that fact, we are going to host the All African Under-18 and Under-20 athletics in July, which will take place here because of the facilities we now have.

“You have also announced that there will be a few matches played here, and we are very excited about that. This will help us strengthen the sports economy that we have begun to ensure we sustain this stadium that we have built,” he said.

The Governor also pledged the support of his administration towards ensuring that the state-owned team reclaims its place of pride among the comity of football teams in the country.

“As a government, I want to pledge that we will do everything to support sports, particularly football. Our Gateway Football Club—whatever it is that we are going to do, whichever way—we will invest.

“Because they say charity begins at home, we couldn’t have made such an investment and then they will not win the Premier League,” he said.