Izuchukwu OkosiBy Izuchukwu Okosi
The Confederation of African Football, CAF, has placed a ban on the Teslim Balogun stadium, Lagos and effectively ruled it out from hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff in March unless refurbishment is carried out at the stadium.
CAF maintains that the stadium did not meet the minimum requirements to host an international match.
CAF through its media channel state that the stadium lacks a good pitch, floodlights, emergency medical facilities and an electronic scoreboard.
The stadium it further informs needs to be modernised with a new standard pitch, media centre, VIP seats and spectators seats.
CAF also stated that the spectators stand of the stadium needs general maintenance like painting and cleaning with refreshment and Catering Facilities for all spectators.
In addition to the areas highlighted by CAF, the toilets as observed by Prime Business Africa at the stadium needs to be kept in good health condition as spectators who use the facilities literally deficate and urinate on the bare floors.
Most of the toilets are also not opened for users which inadvertently lead to miscreants urinating on empty water cans.
In time past, such contaminated water cans were used as objects thrown at the national teams when they lose games albeit such disgraceful actions were not particularly at the Teslim Balogun stadium.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
Follow Us