Rangers set for Enugu return as Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium gets completion date

The Enugu state government has promised to wrap up the renovation of the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium by November.

In a chat with journalists on Saturday, Lloyd Ekweremadu, the state’s commissioner for sports, said the government would ensure Enugu Rangers FC, the seven-time champions of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), return to the stadium by the promised month.

Rangers have been playing their home games at the Awka City Stadium, Anambra, since the renovation began in 2022.

Ekweremadu said although the “deadlines are quite short and ambitious”, the government remains optimistic about achieving the targets.

“The executive council today was briefed on the issue of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and the expected return of our darling Rangers to play at our Cathedral and to generally bring the stadium back to effective use. We deliberated on the targets and steps being taken to meet the set targets of the government,” he said.

“We are making progress. The turf, which is to be laid on the plain surface, is in Nigeria now. It has passed the very critical stage, which is customs clearance, but there are a few other steps at the moment.

“Deadlines have been set, and those deadlines are quite short and ambitious. But we are very optimistic, and we know, in fact, that we will meet those targets and our goals. So, we are taking very proactive steps to ensure that we beat the target.

“The governor said in his 100 days in office speech that the stadium would be ready for use by November. But we are working round the clock to see that we even beat that time and deliver the stadium back to use in record time. And the executive council has resolved to put certain measures in place, which will ensure that we meet such targets.”

The new NPFL season had been scheduled to start on September 9, but the league board postponed the commencement three days before the proposed date.

No new date has been fixed for the new season to kick off.