Exclusive: Stephen Keshi International Stadium, Asaba, a beehive of sporting activities in Nigeria

Stephen Keshi International Stadium, Asaba has truly been a beehive of activities since it was opened in 2018.

Stephen Keshi International Stadium formerly known as Asaba Township Stadium was initially built during the time of the Old Bendel State before the state was split into two to accommodate Edo and Delta State, of course, both states still remain like Siamese twins in their respective foray of sporting activities.

Asaba Township Stadium was given the needed attention when Delta State was created out of the old Bendel State on August 27, 1991 and the state got her name for being located around the Delta Basin in Nigeria.

Asaba Township Stadium which then used to be the property of Bendel State and was inherited by Delta State as Asaba was made the capital of Delta State against all odds because then, other stadia such as Warri Township Stadium and Sapele Mini Stadium were all rated above Asaba Township Stadium in their hierarchical order.

The Asaba Stadium rather has a record as one of the longest abandoned sporting facility which fortunately has its story changed when the late Chief John Iloba, former Olikeze of Asaba and Secretary of the Asagba-in-Council made frantic effort to lobby the government for its completion, stating that the non-completion of the stadium through several administrations of Bendel and Delta states was an active pain.

Nigeria having developed more interest in sports back in the 60s, people were desirous to enhance their sporting life, while the government resolved to build more stadia to accommodate the rising needs. The need became even more crucial with the exploits of the defunct Asaba Tex which was reckoned among top football clubs in the country. 

The then Bendel State Government took over the construction from them in 1974 and with the split of Bendel into two states in 1991, when Delta State Government inherited it.

From that year, Asaba Township Stadium began the journey to rebuilding from the time the government took over it upon themselves which spanned more than necessary decades.

The successive Military Administrators from Bendel to Delta had no political will to develop or construct any single infrastructure in Asaba City Stadium until Gov. James Ibori came in 1999.

The Ibori administration constructed a world class Indoor Multi-Sports Complex at the west end of the stadium and began work on the main bowl with President Olusegun Obasanjo who was honoured to lay the foundation stone, but nothing tangible was achieved for the development and final construction of the stadium.

The administration reasonably distributed mini sports complexes across the state but kept the Asaba project in view as a major work. 

Matters were made worse when Asaba Textile Mill went under, then, the football club was disbanded and its slot in the national league conveyed to NPA FC of Warri, then in the amateur division. Attention shifted to the Warri Township Stadium which was renovated as home for Wolves and to host several continental events alongside medium-range facilities in Oghara, Ughelli and Oleh.

To the credit of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, he made efforts and awarded a rebuilding contract to raise the project reasonably but the stadium failed to get the needed financial commitment.

Back then, Asaba was the only capital in Nigeria that had no stadium. So, why can’t the stadium get the needed attention?

However, the coming of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa breathed a new lease of life as the Delta State helmsman assured on the completion of the facility and further to launch it with an event of global significance.

The governor noted that the state was passionate about sports as the state boasts of renowned sports men and women. 

He also stated that the government was excited to host the 2018 edition of ASAC and would do everything possible for the Asaba Township Stadium to be ready in the month of March (2018).

Gov. Okowa got the Delta State House of Assembly to approve N1.9bn in 2017 to step up work and the local and international sports communities were excited about his commitment, more so for the redesign and reconstruction which adds another high global standard facility to the inventory of the continent's sports.

The field was then adjusted to allow for standard nine tracks as against six in the old design while maintaining a field diameter of 105 by 68 meters in line with FIFA and IAAF standards. 

The Media Tribune, camera main platform, commentary positions and mixed zones are also treated with detailed attention for global standards.

Then, the pitch was made of grass, and, fittingly, Okowa named the stadium after Stephen Keshi a native of IIIah in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State from Igbo descent, who lived and died for Nigerian sports.

Fortune has smiled on Asaba Township Stadium because it became the seat of power, hence the attention to upgrade it to an acceptable standard worthy of a state capital and the seat of government.

Although Stephen Keshi was born in the Northern State in Azaure Bauchi, his contributions to football in Nigeria cannot be overlooked, so having the Asaba Township Stadium, named in his honour, is a worthy investment.

Stephen Keshi in his days played almost all his entire career in Belgium as a defender and have a 60 caps for Nigeria, but more than that he holds the record as the only Nigerian that won African Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a player in 1994 and as a Coach in 2013, only 19 years after.

Stephen Keshi also holds the record as the second Nigeria's most capped player. He captained Nigeria to the first ever World Cup appearance after several failed attempts, as his team still remained the best squad Nigeria has ever produced in football. Keshi as a football manager was also the first Nigerian to ever coach another country, Togo and more than that, he led the country to their first ever World Cup appearance, the same feat he achieved when he captained Nigeria to her first World Cup appearance.

So, when the Asaba Township Stadium was named after him, it was greeted with a loud ovation for a man that means much and contributed much to the development and history of Nigerian football.

In 2018 when Stephen Keshi International Stadium was open, not many stadia were built all covered and so, it occupies a ranking position as the number three only behind Abuja Stadium, (Now Moshood Abiola Stadium) opened in 2008, then Godswill Akpabio Nest of Champions opened four years before, in 2014.

Though Stephen Keshi International Stadium took about some decades before its eventual completion, it was worth the wait as the stadium is a beauty to behold and also perfectly fits an international stadium Nigeria can boast of as a worthy asset.

The Stephen Keshi International Stadium Asaba, built as a World-Class multipurpose sports centre no wonder was commissioned with the hosting of the prestigious Africa Tour Athletics Meet.

The proposal to host the Senior Athletics Championships was submitted to the then Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa by Chief Solomon Ogba and the President, Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), Hamad Kalkaba, boom, the governor quickly jumped at the opportunity to host a world-class event in the state.

Olukayode Thomas, Head Media, and Publicity for CAA Asaba 2018 indicated that from the day the Delta State governor accepted the daunting challenge of hosting the 21st African Senior Athletics Championships, work started almost immediately in getting the Asaba Stadium ready.

The stadium having been redesigned, the contractors were mobilized to the site immediately and the stadium was completed in record time, and subsequently ready to host the first sporting activity to test run facilities and other equipment to be used for the African Senior Athletics Championships.

It is important to note that the main work at the Stephen Keshi Stadium was done by indigenous contractors, however, experts from China and other parts of the world were invited also to work with the organizers and help on the mastery of all the world-class equipment 

For its grand opening, Stephen Keshi International Stadium played host to about 54 African countries with over 15,000 athletes and officials, the international sports press, top CAA and IAAF officials, country delegations and international sports brands and businessmen in town to witness Africa’s best in the competition which also served as regional qualifiers for the 2019 World Athletics Championships.

The international event brought right to Deltans and beamed to the world will be a fitting celebration of the completion of the Asaba Township Stadium which eventually would change sporting life in the state capital even as it brings a leap in the economic environment as, already, about 1,200 rooms were provided for hoteliers.

Olympian and Commonwealth gold medalist, Yusuf Alli, who is also the General Manager of the Lagos City Marathon, said of the stadium that the high standard of the facility will inspire the best from Africa.

“I am very impressed with what the Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Chief Tony Okowa has put up here. The plan for the Asaba stadium is a masterpiece. We are having the first 100m both ways track in Nigeria, first of its kind, and the stadium is also being built in such a way that the crowd would be close to the action. Such an electrifying atmosphere brings out the best in athletes. I know the athletes would run faster on these tracks and jump further in Asaba,” Alli enthused.

At the memorable event, Africa filed into the Asaba Township Stadium in July. Okowa, like a true prince of the Midwest, has succeeded in redeeming the promise of successive regimes of Bendel and Delta States, restored the confidence in the government and, most importantly, left a legacy for today and coming generations of Delta, Nigeria, Africa and world sports.

The Stephen Keshi International Stadium after the hosting of the 21st African Senior Athletics Championships, has gone to become the hotbed of sporting activities.

Several local and international actions have been successfully hosted in the stadium that was once abandoned.

Also in 2018, the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State, hosted its first international football match as the Super Eagles played Uganda’s Cranes in a friendly encounter at the stadium as the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) gave an instant approval for the stadium to be used for international football matches, a feat that has taken other stadia around the world months to achieve.

The then President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick was so excited about the prospect.

“I am therefore excited that FIFA has approved the Stephen Keshi Stadium for international football matches,” Pinnick said.

“It is more gratifying to note that the Super Eagles trained at the Stephen Keshi Stadium before leaving for South Africa through the Asaba Airport. They went to South Africa and qualified for Cameroon 2019.

Gov. Okowa stated that after the stadium was completed, it had brought an astronomical economic impact since the facility hosted the athletic championship in August and then followed with Aiteo cup final between Enugu Rangers and Kano Pillars two months after.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria also played the Seychelles and Egypt national teams in Asaba making the stadium one of the busiest.

Considering its capacity as a 22,000 sitter, Stephen Keshi Stadium played host to 21st National Sports Festival in 2022 which has been regarded as one of the most successful sports fests in Nigeria till date.

All the facilities in the stadium are up to the task of hosting the event that has over 22,000 athletes from across Nigeria participating in all sports that include Swimming, Table Tennis, Athletics, (Track and Field), Badminton, Taekwondo, Judo, among other sports hosted in the sporting complex.

The facilities at the Stephen Keshi International Stadium are all up to the required international standard, which includes the spectators stand, state box, the median track, the football pitch which is grass and the most modern side pitch advert board which is electronic, the first of its kind in Nigeria.

Just recently, Stephen Keshi International Stadium also hosted the 2023 Federation Cup finals between Rangers International and Bendel Insurance FC, a cup won by the latter.

Ongoing at the same stadium and just a week apart, the Nigeria National League (NNL) Super 8 playoffs is ongoing at the Stephen Keshi International Stadium having previously hosted the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL); and such is the busy state of Stephen Keshi International Stadium which can now be regarded as one of the busiest sporting edifices in Nigeria.