MKO Abiola stadium is new home of Ikorodu United

Ikorodu United FC of Lagos has requested and secured approval from the League Management Company (LMC) to play the remaining of its 2015/16 home fixtures of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta.

It will be recalled that following crowd incident during the Match Day 30 fixture against Shooting Stars at the Onikan Stadium, Ikorodu United was found not to have ensured adequate security and were ordered to play three home games at Abeokuta with two suspended on condition of good behaviour by the fans.

Ikorodu United served the sanction on Match Day 32 and defeated Niger Tornadoes 1-0 but in a letter to the LMC, the club General Manager, Dele Gbajumo appealed that the club be permitted to relocate to Abeokuta for the remainder of the games of the on-going season.

“We will not be able to guarantee the full control of the crowd and general safety at the Onikan Stadium as the unruly fans at the Onikan Stadium are not known to us and neither can they be identified should there be any form of fracas,” the club wrote in its appeal letter.

In granting the approval, the LMC directed Ikorodu United to liaise with the Ogun State Football Association towards ensuring that adequate preparations are made for security and crowd control for the matches.

Ikorodu United will thus host El-Kanemi Warriors in one of the Match Day 33 fixtures at the MKO Abiola Stadium tomorrow.The LMC has consistently and in accordance with provisions of the Rules and Framework meted out appropriate sanctions to erring clubs, players, officials and fans to ensure decorum in the NPFL. It is ironical that what initially seemed punitive has turned out a blessing for Ikorodu United.