Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin have been scheduled to file out against Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure on Wednesday at the Main-Bowl of the Kwara Stadium Complex, Ilorin, beginning from 4 p.m.
The match is part of the preparations for both teams ahead of the commencement of the 2023-2024 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), and for Kwara United, it is more than just the game.
The team last played inside the 18,000 capacity facility constructed in 1977 in the 2021/2022 season, and on a synthetic surface.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also confirmed that the team will be returning home for the 2023-2024 season, and play now on a natural grass surface, and with their fans on the stands.
NAN recalls that the team played all its home matches in the 2022/2023 season in both Ibadan and Akure, following the re-grassing of the pitch, which was being bankrolled by Mr Usman Mustapha.
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The match against Sunshine will also be used to experiment crowd control, match coverage, especially with the GTI coverage system, security pattern and observance of other NPFL protocols, ahead of the team’s first home match against Abia Warriors.
And for Coach Kabir Sulaiman Dogo, it is yet another opportunity to expose his wards to a Grade A test, before the commencement of the 2023-2024 NPFL hostilities.
Kwara United FC had earlier played Sunshine Stars in Ijebu-Ode, where they also played two other friendly matches, before their participation in the 2023 ValueJet Pre-Season Tournament in Ikenne, where they lost out at the semi-final stage.
The team also played local friendly matches in Ilorin, before jetting out to Benin Republic, where they engaged both Cavaliers FC of Nikki and Buffles FC of Parakou at the Stade OmniSports de Nikki, in August.
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With days to the commencement of the season, the Sunshine Stars match on Wednesday means a lot to Kwara soccer fans, at least watching their team against another NPFL rivals, which will more or less, serve as the celebration of return of league action to Ilorin. (NAN)