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By Abiodun Adewale.
The Confederation of African Football will again inspect the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt before it can host Rivers United’s Confederation Cup matches, The PUNCH reports.
After progressing to the quarter-finals of the competition, Rivers have made efforts to return home for the rest of the tournament, but their quarter-final first leg game against Young Africans of Tanzania will still hold at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on April 23.
Rivers United have played their group stage matches in the Confederation Cup in Uyo and moved to have their home ground in Port Harcourt approved for the quarter-finals, with CAF in which inspecting the facility April 6.
With few days to the game against Young Africans, CAF has opted to reinspect the facility at a later date.
CAF’s Stadium Inspector, Nasir Jubril, who examined the stadium said the continental body was in the best position to issue an official statement on the development.
“It is not something I can comment on, it is CAF who will be able to give a report of the assessment,” Jubril told our correspondent.
Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Chris Green, confirmed the reinspection and assured that the club’s preparation for the quarter-final game against Young Africans will not be affected.
“CAF told us they will send another team to come inspect the stadium, and that is going to take another time,” Green told The PUNCH.
“On our part, we have done everything necessary to give the stadium a new look and we will be ready to receive them. Maybe they will do it before the semi-finals, but whenever they are ready, we are also ready.
“Our game is more like a national project now and we are glad to have represented the country so well thus far. We want to continue in that light and everything is in progress to ensure we have a good outing in Uyo just as we did in the group stage. We are mobilising fans from Port Harcourt and we will also mobilise in Uyo as well,” Green added.
In the group stage, Rivers won two out of their three home games to amass 10 points and finish second in Group B, earning a place in the knockout round of the competition for the first time in the club’s history.
They are drawn against the Tanzanians, whom they beat home and away in the first preliminary round of the CAF Champions League in 2021.
With a semi-final ticket of the CAF second-tier competition now at stake, the first leg match will take place in Uyo on Sunday, while the return leg will take place in Dar es Salam a week later.