Monimichelle laments falling standards of stadium in Nigeria 

Monimichelle laments falling standards of stadium in Nigeria 

The Chief Executive Officer of Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Limited, Ebi Egbe has decried placing emphasis on stadium edifice without a corresponding good playing turf, reports www.sportsunlimited.ng.

In a statement he personally signed, Egbe wondered why many Nigerians deodorised stadium edifice without regard to the quality of the pitch, which, according to him, is the most important aspect of stadium construction.

"Sometimes I wonder why many Nigerians think stadium facades are the most important aspect of stadium construction, " he said .

Egbe, a GMA certified hybrid football turf technician, added that "without proper investment in the playing surface, a stadium will be doomed within less than six months of football traffic, especially with 100% natural grass pitches. Once the pitch goes bad, that beautiful stadium will no longer be fit for elite CAF-approved football activities," he argues.

He listed what he considered typical examples of failed natural grass pitches to include the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, and the Abuja National Stadium. 

"These are clear testimonies that our football culture is not yet fully ready to sustain 100% natural turf pitches for elite football.

"Most African countries simply do not yet have the maintenance culture required to consistently sustain such pitches, and this is an accepted reality acknowledged by FIFA and CAF.

"North African countries, on the other hand, have developed stronger maintenance structures and football infrastructure cultures that support the sustainability of quality natural grass pitches," he stressed.

Egbe also touched on why artificial playing turfs failed, especially in this part of the world.

"For artificial turf pitches, failure to invest in modern turf technology that truly mimics the characteristics of natural grass will result in surfaces with excessive ball speed, irregular bounce, unnatural ball movement, and increased risk of abrasions and injuries. Poor-quality playing surfaces also do not support proper grassroots football development.

"A typical example is the Samson Siasia stadium artificial turf pitch in Yenagoa. The pitch is the heart of every stadium. Beautiful facades do not improve football quality, player safety, or FIFA standards, quality playing surfaces do," he submitted.