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Football is coming home to Makurdi.
After years of playing “home” matches in far-flung venues across the country, Lobi Stars supporters have received the clearest assurance yet that their beloved club will soon return to the Aper Aku Stadium, now more popularly called McCarthy Stadium.
The promise came straight from the State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Creativity, Hon. Tiza Imojime, on Wednesday 19 November 2025 while briefing sports journalists after an on-site inspection of ongoing rehabilitation work at the 20,000-capacity venue.
The major hurdle, according to the commissioner, has been a large excavated pit originally meant for mounting additional spectator pillars. Leaving it open would pose a serious safety risk, but completely abandoning the stadium’s upgrade was never an option either.
His solution: sand-fill the pit immediately so that matches can resume while the broader renovation continues in phases around the live games.
“This will enable us to begin renovation of the stadium holistically in piece-meal where construction will be going on and spectators will at the same time too be on the other side of the stadium, watching matches conveniently without hitches,” Imojime explained.
He revealed that what began as a total rehabilitation project had to be converted into a strategic, phased approach precisely because the government did not want to deny the club and its teeming fans the joy of watching Lobi Stars in Makurdi again.
The timing could not be better. Lobi Stars are scheduled to play an away Nigeria National League fixture on Thursday in Kano, and the commissioner expressed strong hope that their very next home game could already be staged at McCarthy Stadium.
“Lobi will be playing their next away NNL match on Thursday this week in Kano and we are hoping that their next home NNL match will be played at the McCarthy Stadium,” he said.
In a tone that left no room for doubt, Imojime added: “I want to assure you that Lobi will come back home and as long as Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia is the Governor and I the Youth, Sports and Creativity Commissioner, that will happen and very soon.”
For a fanbase that has endured long, expensive trips to places like Abakaliki, Lafia, and even Ilorin just to watch their team play “at home,” the news has been met with cautious celebration. Many remember similar promises in the past that never materialised, but the visible work at the stadium and the commissioner’s direct, confident tone have kindled real hope this time.
If the sand-filling and safety certifications are completed as planned, the roar of the Makurdi crowd could echo inside McCarthy Stadium again before the end of November; a homecoming that Lobi Stars players, officials, and the Pride of Benue faithful have waited far too long to hear.
