Amiesimaka Stadium to host Olympic qualifiers

The Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium will play host to two 2016 Olympic qualifiers involving Nigerian teams in July.
African champions, the Super Falcons will continue their quest to reach the Women’s football event of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero when they face Equatorial Guinea on July 18.

Nigeria’s Under-23 men’s team (the Dream Team VI) will then face Congo’s under-23s at the same venue 24 hours later.
The Rivers State Executive governor, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has now set up an 11-man Main Organizing Committee (MOC) which is includes former international, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka, Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barrister Chris Green and headed by Boma Iyaye.

The governor says it is important for Rivers State to host the matches in hit-free fashion.
“We need this hosting to be a success because it will let the outside world know that they can invest in Rivers State.
“This is the first crucial administration that will be undertaking as it concerns bringing the world to Rivers State,” Governor Wike said.
Iyaye says Rivers State is set to play the “perfect hosts” as the Falcons and Dream Team look to march into the Olympics.
“Nigeria did not compete in both the men’s and Women’s football events of the last Olympics and we want to see that it does not happen again this time.

“Rivers State has a great history of hosting the national teams and this will be no different. We did it most recently in 2003 and 2011 and this will be special as well,” Iyaye told supersport.com.
Also speaking ahead of the upcoming internationals, Amiesimaka explained that the choice of Rivers State as hosts represents a masterstroke by the NFF.
“Football is a very popular sport. We expect all and sundry to be part of it and considering the scale of the respective events, there is certain to be mass appeal so we require the support of all to make this a huge success.

“We want to use this unique opportunity to showcase the enormous potential of Rivers State in all ramifications,” he said.

The Super Falcons reached this round of qualifying while the Dream Team VI drew bye and will meet the Congolese who overcame Ghana in the first round of qualifying.