Capacity 25,000 | Opened 1960 (1960) | |
The Obafemi Awolowo Stadium located at Liberty road, Ring Road in Ibadan, Nigeria, was originally named the Liberty Stadium until 2010. It is a historic football stadium with a capacity of 25,000 seats.
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Construction
The stadium was opened in 1960 during the tenure of Chief Obafemi Awolowo who was serving as the Premier of the Western Region at the time.
African Cup of Nations
In 1980, the stadium hosted several matches during the African Cup of Nations, including a semi-final between Algeria and Egypt.
FIFA World Youth Championship
In 1999, the Liberty Stadium was selected along with eight other stadiums in Nigeria to host the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. The stadium hosted all of the Group C matches, one of the Round of 16 matches, and one of the quarter-final matches.
Renaming
On November 12, 2010, the stadium was renamed as the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium. The renaming of the stadium was announced by the then Nigerian president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, when he visited Chief Obafemi Awolwo’s widow, Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Awolowo.