U. J. Esuene Stadium
The U. J. Esuene Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Calabar, Nigeria. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Calabar Rovers and previously Dolphins F.C.[1] The stadium has a capacity of 16,000 and was opened in 1977. [2]
![]() | |
| Full name | Udokaha Jacob Esuene Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Calabar, Nigeria |
| Coordinates | 4.9677°N 8.3269°E |
| Capacity | 16,000 |
| Opened | 1977 |
| Tenants | |
| Calabar Rovers | |
History
The UJ Esuene Stadium was inaugurated on the 2 April 1977 with a match between Benin's Bendel Insurance F.C. and newly formed Calabar Rovers of Calabar. Two weeks later, the stadium hosted an international encounter between Enugu Rangers and Tonnerre Yaoundé - a game that featured the likes of Roger Milla, Christian Chukwu and Emmanuel Okala.
Games at the 2003 All-Africa Games were also played at the U. J. Esuene Stadium in October 2003, as were Nigeria's qualifiers for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. It was also short-listed as a stadium for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[3]
The stadium has been further upgraded to include an ultra modern electronic video-matrix scoreboard, with impressive floodlights.
Notable football matches hosted
1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
| Date | Team 1 | Result | Team 2 | Attendance | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 April 1999 | 4–3 | 12,000 | Group F | ||
| 2–0 | |||||
| 8 April 1999 | 0–0 | 8,000 | |||
| 14 April 1999 | 4–0 | 12,000 | Round of 16 |
2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup
| Date | Team 1 | Result | Team 2 | Attendance | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 October 2009 | 2–0 | 9,200 | Group C | ||
| 2–1 | 10,100 | ||||
| 28 October 2009 | 2–1 | 6,800 | |||
| 0–0 | 8,600 | ||||
| 31 October 2009 | 2–2 | 6,100 | |||
| 1–1 | 7,000 | Group D | |||
| 5 November 2009 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | 3,600 | Round of 16 | ||
| 9 November 2009 | 1–3 | 9,100 | Quarter-final |
References
