The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Sunday rather tacitly announced that the 2017 AITEO Cup final will be decided at the Agege Stadium in Lagos on October 15.
The Federation in a release on Sunday night hinted at an inspection of facilities at the compact arena scheduled to stage the Men’s final by the Federation’s chief executives Amaju Pinnick, Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko among others.
Agege Stadium nicknamed The Temple is the home ground of Nigeria Professional Football League side Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Football Club and is in line to host CAF Champions League matches next year.
Akinwunmi who is the Federation’s First Vice President and the Head of Organizing Committee for the AITEO Cup told the NFF website that the facility will be ready to stage the final.
“There are a few things we have to put right but, generally, we have a good facility here.
“From Monday (October 2), work will begin on the few areas that we must put right and the other make –shift facilities that we would have to put up to achieve what we are determined to achieve.”
As of now, there is no date and venue for the Women’s final which had been played on the same day with the Men’s final in recent years.
However, the October 15 date is not feasible for the women whose League Super Four finals hold a day earlier in Benin City.
The Federation must thus find a day between October 16 and 18 to stage the women’s final in time before their Annual General Assembly (AGA) slated for October 18.
Yenagoa, Bayelsa state capital has been speculated as a likely host for the women’s final but it remains to be seen if the four-year repair work on the Samson Siasia Stadium will be completed before the middle of October.