 | |
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| Full name | Udokaha Jacob Esuene Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Calabar, Nigeria |
| Coordinates | 4°58′04″N 8°19′37″E / 4.9677°N 8.3269°E |
| Capacity | 16,000 |
| Opened | 1977 |
| Tenants | |
| Calabar Rovers | |
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]
History
The UJ Esuene Stadium was inaugurated on 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 shortlisted as a stadium for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup and hosted eight games, including the South Korea-Nigeria quarterfinal. [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 | 
Zambia |
4–3 | 
Honduras |
12,000 | Group F |
Spain |
2–0 | 
Brazil
| |||
| 8 April 1999 |
Zambia |
0–0 |
Spain |
8,000 | |
| 14 April 1999 |
Brazil |
4–0 | 
Croatia |
12,000 | Round of 16 |
2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup
| Date | Team 1 | Result | Team 2 | Attendance | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 October 2009 | 
Iran |
2–0 | 
Gambia |
9,200 | Group C |
Colombia |
2–1 | 
Netherlands |
10,100 | ||
| 28 October 2009 |
Netherlands |
2–1 |
Gambia |
6,800 | |
|
Iran |
0–0 |
Colombia |
8,600 | ||
| 31 October 2009 |
Gambia |
2–2 | 6,100 | ||
New Zealand |
1–1 | 
Turkey |
7,000 | Group D | |
| 5 November 2009 |
Iran |
1–2 ( a.e.t.) | 
Uruguay |
3,600 | Round of 16 |
| 9 November 2009 | 
South Korea |
1–3 | 
Nigeria |
9,100 | Quarter-final |
References
|
| |
|
| |
| Full name | Udokaha Jacob Esuene Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Calabar, Nigeria |
| Coordinates | 4°58′04″N 8°19′37″E / 4.9677°N 8.3269°E |
| Capacity | 16,000 |
| Opened | 1977 |
| Tenants | |
| Calabar Rovers | |
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]
History
The UJ Esuene Stadium was inaugurated on 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 shortlisted as a stadium for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup and hosted eight games, including the South Korea-Nigeria quarterfinal. [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 |
Zambia |
4–3 |
Honduras |
12,000 | Group F |
|
Spain |
2–0 |
Brazil
| |||
| 8 April 1999 |
Zambia |
0–0 |
Spain |
8,000 | |
| 14 April 1999 |
Brazil |
4–0 |
Croatia |
12,000 | Round of 16 |
2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup
| Date | Team 1 | Result | Team 2 | Attendance | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 October 2009 |
Iran |
2–0 |
Gambia |
9,200 | Group C |
|
Colombia |
2–1 |
Netherlands |
10,100 | ||
| 28 October 2009 |
Netherlands |
2–1 |
Gambia |
6,800 | |
|
Iran |
0–0 |
Colombia |
8,600 | ||
| 31 October 2009 |
Gambia |
2–2 | 6,100 | ||
|
New Zealand |
1–1 |
Turkey |
7,000 | Group D | |
| 5 November 2009 |
Iran |
1–2 ( a.e.t.) |
Uruguay |
3,600 | Round of 16 |
| 9 November 2009 |
South Korea |
1–3 |
Nigeria |
9,100 | Quarter-final |
References