By Daily Sports Nigeria on September 17, 2025

Kwara United officials say they remain hopeful of hosting their CAF Confederation Cup home tie against Ghana’s Asante Kotoko in Ilorin, despite ongoing uncertainty over the approval of the club’s Rashidi Yekini Stadium, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The club’s media officer Ayodeji Ismail told our correspondent on Tuesday that renovations at the stadium are progressing quickly and that the club is waiting for a formal inspection by the African football governing body.

“If things work out for us, we should be playing at home because renovation is going on massively,” Ismail explained.

“The dressing room and other facilities are being worked on, but we are waiting for the official confirmation and announcement from CAF. For now, we are hopeful we will be allowed to play in Ilorin.”

According to Ismail, the facility has not yet been inspected by CAF and the last assessment was conducted by Nigeria Football Federation officials about a month ago, just before the start of the domestic league season.

“They told us some of the things we needed to do so that the stadium can meet CAF standards.

“We immediately swung into action and corrections are ongoing. We are waiting for the next CAF visit, although we don’t know when that will be.”

Kwara United General Manager Bashir Badawiy also confirmed to our correspondent that the club is in regular contact with the NFF, stressing that the venue decision would be communicated publicly in coming days.

The uncertainty over Ilorin comes as fellow Nigerian continental representatives Remo Stars have already secured approval to play their CAF Champions League fixtures at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, with the club publicly confirming the venue on social media on Tuesday.

The Harmony Boys are reportedly linked with a move to Abeokuta after failing to get last-minute approval for their Ilorin stadium.

The PUNCH previously reported that the state governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq pledged government backing to ensure the stadium in Ilorin is ready in time during a recent inspection visit and said his administration was determined to avoid the team being forced to relocate.

“The stadium is not approved yet, but we want to meet the standards before the inspection team comes from CAF.

“We are making sure that work is being done with urgency so we pass the inspection. We do not want our supporters and team playing in Lagos or Abuja,” the governor said.

Kwara United, winners of the 2025 Federation Cup, are due to face Kotoko in the first preliminary round of the Confederation Cup.

The two-legged tie rekindles one of West Africa’s fiercest rivalries. Kotoko, two-time African champions, will host the first leg in Kumasi September 21, before the return fixture in Nigeria the following week on September 28.

The winners will advance to face Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in the next round.

Kwara United are making their third appearance in the competition and the chance to host in Ilorin would provide a significant boost both for players and supporters.

Ismail said the club would communicate transparently with fans once CAF’s final decision is known.

“If there is any report concerning where we are going to play, it is going to come from our media department. We are hopeful we will play in Ilorin, but if otherwise, we will come out openly to inform everyone,” he explained.

Source Punch Ng

Posted September 17, 2025

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