Akwa United to play Plateau United in 18000-seater Eket Stadium, vacate 30000-seater in Uyo

Eket Stadium, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.

NPFL Akwa United to play Plateau United in 18000-seater Eket Stadium, vacate 30000-seater in Uyo

Jidechi Chidiezie 23:42 - 28.01.2023

Since 2015, Akwa United have always played their home matches at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

For the first time since 2015, Akwa United will play a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) home fixture away from their traditional home ground, the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

The Promise Keepers who originally played their competitive home matches at the Uyo Township Stadium, relocated from there to the 30000-seater Godswill Akpabio Stadium in 2015, following its completion in 2014.

However, for the first time in almost a decade, the Uyo-based club will take their business elsewhere.

Uyo's Godswill Akpabio Stadium

Akwa United vs Plateau United moved to Eket, from Uyo

Akwa United will in week 4 of the 2023 NPFL season, play hosts to Plateau United in a game of former champions, and as opposed to the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, the encounter will take place at Eket Stadium, some 51.2 km kilometres away from Uyo.

The venue change comes as a result of a planned 'presidential visit' to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, with the state government expected to host political dignitaries at the 30000-seater edifice.

https://twitter.com/CreativityDavid/status/1567600923651760132?s=20&t=RxScTIoXy33NAkTHK88TdA

Like many clubs in Nigeria, Akwa United are owned by their state government, which also makes supreme decisions on what playing surface(s) the team can be entitled to.

Akwa United vs Plateau United head-to-head

Sunday will see both sides meet for the umpteenth time after experiencing a pretty similar start to the 2023 season.

After a draw and a defeat, each, in their first two games of the season, the Uyo and Jos clubs go into Sunday's encounter on the back of their first win of the season: away at Nasarawa (0-3) and at home, to Enyimba (2-1), respectively.

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The last five meetings between the 2021 and 2017 champions have seen Akwa United win two games, Plateau United win only one, and the other two ending in draws.

The last fixture hosted by Akwa United - in June 2022 - saw the Promise Keepers come out tops, scoring a late goal to secure a 2-1 win.

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