Remo Stars set for Ikenne homecoming after stadium renovation

Reigning Nigeria Premier Football League champions, Remo Stars, will return to their home ground, the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, for the second stanza of the 2025/26 season following the completion of extensive renovation works on the pitch.

The Sky Blue Stars are scheduled to make their long-awaited return on January 7, when they host Ikorodu City in their NPFL Matchday 20 fixture. The game will bring an end to a five-month period away from home, during which the champions adopted the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta as their temporary base.

Club chairman Kunle Soname confirmed that the stadium is now fully ready to welcome both players and supporters after the completion of the renovation project.

“Renovation of the pitch has been completed and has been certified even by the FIFA inspection team. Our first game will be against Ikorodu City when the second stanza of the season resumes,” Soname said.

The Remo Stars Stadium, which was first opened in 2020 and hosted its maiden league fixture in 2021 following the club’s promotion from the second division, had its hybrid synthetic turf replaced after five years of continuous use. The upgrade was deemed necessary to maintain the facility’s standards and ensure optimal playing conditions.

Remo Stars began the 2025/26 campaign in August while renovation works were still ongoing in Ikenne, forcing the defending champions to relocate to Abeokuta. However, their time away from home has proven difficult. They opened the season with a 1-1 draw against Rivers United on August 22 before suffering home defeats to Rangers International on November 13 and Bendel Insurance, who claimed a 3-2 victory on December 21.

Their struggles extended to the continental stage, as Remo Stars played their CAF Champions League preliminary matches in Abeokuta. After dispatching Comoros champions Zilimadjou 5-0 on aggregate, they were convincingly eliminated by South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, who recorded a 7-1 aggregate victory.

Currently 16th on the NPFL table with 22 points from 19 matches, Remo Stars will be hoping that a return to familiar surroundings can reignite their season.

Head coach Daniel Ogunmodede, presently on national team duty with the Super Eagles at the 2025 AFCON, had earlier pointed to the temporary relocation as a factor in the team’s slow start.

“It is not an excuse, but things might have been different if we had played our home games in Ikenne,” Ogunmodede said in August 2025.

Having won their first-ever league title last season with 71 points, seven ahead of Rivers United, Remo Stars will now aim to salvage pride and momentum as they resume life back home.

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