The League Management Company (LMC), organisers of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), have suspended four stadiums from hosting their matches for two weeks due to their poor pitches.
In a series of tweets on its official handle (@LMCNPFL, the company said it had to bring the hammer down on the stadiums pending when they would be certified.
The stadiums affected are the Umuahia Township Stadium, the August 27 Stadium in Damaturu, the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri and the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja.
This means Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia, Yobe Desert Stars FC of Damaturu, Heartland FC of Owerri and Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna now have to seek alternative home grounds.
These four clubs play their home matches in the league and other competitions on these grounds, which are in their home bases, with the exception of the Minna-based Niger Tornadoes.
Niger Tornadoes’ real home ground of Bako Kontagora Memorial Stadium in Minna has been under reconstruction for more than two years now.
The LMC advised Abia Warriors FC, who play their home matches at the Umuahia Stadium, to seek an alternative home turf while work was carried out on the playing turf.
The stadium has been deemed incapable of hosting top-flight games.
Also, Niger Tornadoes and Heartland FC must now seek another ground as regrassing works are being carried out to improve the playing pitches of their home grounds.
LMC stated that all the clubs have been advised not to allow any activity on the surfaces at the various stadiums as maintenance work was being carried out.
According to the LMC, “all suspensions are for a period of two weeks and this commences from Match Day 10’’.
It added that its assessors would visit the affected stadiums after the two-week period to ascertain the readiness of the playing surfaces in lieu of resumption of matches there
