By Kunle Solaja

Fifty-three years after General Yakubu Gowon cut the tape to inaugurate the Lagos National Stadium on December 4, 1972, the once-celebrated sporting cathedral stands today as a symbol of faded grandeur—its crumbling concrete and abandoned facilities whispering tales of a glorious past Nigeria has struggled to preserve.

For a generation, the stadium was the beating heart of Nigerian sport. It hosted the 2nd All Africa Games in 1973, the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations—where the Green Eagles lifted their first continental title—and even returned to the spotlight for matches, including the final, of the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations. Its lush green pitch, roaring crowds and imposing architecture once placed it among Africa’s most admired arenas.

But the story of the Lagos National Stadium is now a study in neglect. From the seats installed during Nigeria’s aborted rush to host the 1995 FIFA U-20 World Cup, now reduced to tired relics, to the giant electronic scoreboard that looms like a dead black carcass over the eastern stand, the venue has long since lost its shine.

A Legacy in Decay

The pitch, once a carpet of green, became so poor by the late 1980s that Ethiopia’s youth team—after a 1987 World Youth Championship (Under 20 World Cup) qualifier—dismissed it as fit “only for horse races.” Since, it has deteriorated even further, with grass turning from green to yellow, then brown.

Yet, despite its condition, the stadium still sits prominently on the Lagos mainland—a haunting reminder of how national monuments can decay when maintenance culture fails.

Around the world, nations flaunt their sporting heritage through grand stadiums that are maintained, modernised and cherished. Brazil’s Maracanã, Europe’s iconic arenas, and Morocco’s fast-expanding, world-class stadium network—now attracting global competitions—illustrate how infrastructure shapes sporting excellence.

Some of these stadiums date back to the early 20th century but remain fully functional, thanks to regular upgrades. Lagos, however, tells a different story.

A Monument Built on Ambition

The origins of the National Stadium trace back to 1951, when land for the project was first acquired. The earliest version was a timber-based terrace built for the 1960 Independence celebrations and the West African Games.

The modern structure only took shape after Gowon laid the foundation stone on March 14, 1970, following years of administrative delays and shifting designs.

Construction wasn’t without challenges: shortages of steel, substitution of materials, and Lagos’ lack of cranes tall enough to reach the 62-metre floodlight towers demanded improvisation from engineers.

The floodlights towers have since been removed after one the four collapsed in 2023.

Still, by early 1973, just in time for the 2nd All Africa Games, the stadium emerged—a saucer-shaped masterpiece with 12 ramps, 72 exit points, and a capacity of 50,000 spectators. That figure later dropped to 39,858 when individual seats replaced concrete terraces ahead of the planned 1995 youth tournament.

From Sporting Cathedral to Social Hangout

What was once Nigeria’s premier multi-sport arena now survives mainly as a social hub—hosting workouts, informal gatherings, and occasional religious events. The sporting roars that once shook its foundations have long since faded.

The stadium last welcomed the Super Eagles on April 30, 2004, when a largely home-based Nigerian side lost 1–0 to Senegal in an LG-sponsored friendly. Since then, the national team has moved on. The stadium has not.

Instead, street urchins, informal traders and fitness groups roam the grounds once graced by Africa’s finest athletes.

A Mirror of Nigeria’s Sporting Culture

The decline of the Lagos National Stadium reflects a broader national challenge: the struggle to sustain infrastructure, preserve heritage and match ambition with maintenance. The stadium remains a landmark—not for its present glory, but for what it once was and what it could have remained.

At 53, the Lagos National Stadium lives on, not as a world-class arena, but as a cautionary tale—an ageing monument caught between memory and neglect, glory and ruin, history and uncertainty.

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By Kunle Solaja.

Seventeen years after the death of Haruna Ilerika, the diminutive, left-footed wizard who lit up Nigerian football in the 1970s, his legacy continues to resonate — and today’s date underscores that bond even more powerfully.

December 4 not only marks the anniversary of Ilerika’s death; it is also the anniversary of the opening of the National Stadium, Lagos — an arena whose maiden match he helped illuminate in 1972.

As Nigeria faced Mali that day, a young Ilerika stepped onto the turf of the brand-new stadium, unaware that the moment would become a defining chapter in both his career and the arena’s history. Today, he and several others who featured in that opening fixture — captain Godwin Achebe, later-day skipper Victor Oduah, first scorer Yakubu Mambo, Sunday Oyarekhua and more — have all passed on, leaving behind a fading but cherished era of Nigerian football brilliance.

Football historians often point out the striking parallels between Ilerika and the iconic Tesilimi “Thunder” Balogun.
Ilerika was born in 1949 — the exact year Balogun made his international debut for Nigeria.
And in 1972, the year Balogun died, Ilerika in turn made his own national team debut.

Two footballing eras, linked almost poetically. Long before capturing the hearts of Nigerian fans, Ilerika was already a sensation at Zumrattul Islammiyah Grammar School. Together with fellow small-statured talent Tajudeen Ajagun, they earned the title of “terrible twins” in the Lagos Principals’ Cup — a partnership that terrorised defences and drew crowds across the city.

His club career began modestly at Patterson Zachonis (PZ) FC, before he moved to Metal Construction FC and later to Stationery Stores. By March 1971, the creative schemer had earned his place in the star-studded Stores lineup, quickly becoming one of their most admired players.

Despite his frame, Ilerika was a giant of technique. His game blended quick thinking, swift movement, close ball control and trademark body-swerves that left opponents helpless. Fans often described him not just as a footballer, but as a one-man performance act — an artist with the ball at his feet.

His talent translated seamlessly to the national stage. After an impressive debut against Mali on November 22, 1972, he went on to earn 30 caps for Nigeria, with his final appearance coming in a goalless draw against Sierra Leone in 1976.

Ilerika was central to Nigeria’s triumph in the 1973 All-Africa Games in Lagos, where his bustling pace and creativity helped the country secure gold.

One of his most memorable international performances came three years later at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations in Ethiopia, where he scored two crucial equalisers against Egypt. His grace on the pitch even won admirers off it — one Ethiopian fan famously handed him her necklace as the Nigerian team boarded their bus after the match.

His brilliance earned him a spot in a special CAF Afro-Latin America squad in 1973, coached by Ghana’s Charles Kofi Gyamfi and Algeria’s Rachid Mekhloufi — a rare honour for a Nigerian footballer of that era.

A Legacy Forever Linked With Lagos Stadium

As the National Stadium, Lagos, marks yet another anniversary, memories of the players who helped christen its turf return to the spotlight. Among them, Haruna Ilerika remains one of the most unforgettable — a diminutive maestro who played bigger than his size, thrilled crowds with artistry, and etched his name into the soul of Nigerian football.

Seventeen years after his passing, the echoes of his genius still linger — a reminder that true legends never really leave; they simply keep playing.

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By Kunle Solaja.

Seventeen years after the passing of Haruna Ilerika — the diminutive, left-footed maestro whose dribbling artistry lit up Nigerian football — memories of his brilliance remain as vibrant as ever. And today’s date adds an uncanny layer to that remembrance: December 4 marks not only his death anniversary, but also the anniversary of the opening of the National Stadium, Lagos — a stage he helped inaugurate with flair in 1972.

That historic Nigeria vs Mali encounter on December 4, 1972 featured Ilerika among its standout performers. Today, several others who played in that symbolic match — captain Godwin Achebe, later national skipper Victor Oduah, the stadium’s first scorer Yakubu Mambo, Sunday Oyarekhua and more — have also departed, leaving behind a fading golden generation.

A Tale of Two Legends

Football historians often draw a poetic line between Haruna Ilerika and Tesilimi “Thunder” Balogun, two icons whose careers were separated by eras yet mysteriously intertwined by destiny.

• Ilerika was born in 1949, the same year Balogun made his international debut for Nigeria.
• Balogun died in 1972, the year Ilerika made his own international bow.

It is as though one era of Nigerian football brilliance quietly handed the torch to the next.

The Schoolboy Prodigy Who Mesmerised Lagos

Before becoming a national star, Ilerika was already a sensation in Lagos schools football. At Zumrattul Islammiyah Grammar School, he paired with fellow diminutive genius Tajudeen Ajagun to form the legendary “terrible twins” of the Principals’ Cup — a duo feared by defenders and adored by fans.

His club career began modestly with a lesser-known Patterson Zachonis (PZ) team. But true talent never hides. Soon, he moved to Metal Construction FC and later secured a spot with the illustrious Stationery Stores in March 1971. There, among a squad of stars, the short schemer still stood out effortlessly.

A One-Man Dribbling Exhibition

What Ilerika lacked in height, he compensated with unmatched football artistry. His play combined:

• lightning feet
• razor-sharp awareness
• tight ball control
• deceptive body swerves and dummies

He was frequently described as a one-man show, capable of turning routine moments into theatre.

National Stardom and Continental Recognition

Ilerika earned his first national team invitation in 1972, making his debut in a friendly against Mali on November 22. Over four years, he collected 30 caps, signing off in a goalless draw with Sierra Leone in Freetown in 1976.

Among his career highlights:

• 1973 All-Africa Games (Lagos): Helped Nigeria win gold with his trademark bustling skill and creativity.
• AFCON 1976 (Ethiopia): Scored two stunning equalising goals against Egypt — a performance so graceful that an Ethiopian admirer famously handed him her necklace as the team boarded their bus.

His brilliance at the All-Africa Games earned him a place in the elite CAF Afro-Latin America selection of 1973, coached by Ghana’s Charles Kofi Gyamfi and Algeria’s Rachid Mekhloufi.

A Legacy That Lives Beyond Time

Though he died 17 years ago, Haruna Ilerika’s memory continues to loom large. His connection to Balogun forms one of Nigerian football’s most poetic parallel stories, while his exploits on school fields, club grounds, and national arenas remain etched in the fabric of the country’s sporting history.

Today, as the National Stadium marks another anniversary, Nigerian football remembers Ilerika — the slight-framed dribbling genius who once made the beautiful game truly beautiful.

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