Organisers of the domestic top flight, Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, stunned followers of the game in the country with a 'partial ban' ban on the Umuahia Township Stadium.

The league board ordered Abia Warriors FC to chose an alternative venue for their home matches, citing 'poor state of the stadium's playing turf as reason the decision. The league managers also ordered Abia Warriors to improve the pitch as condition for their possible return to the edifice for their home games.

Among others, the league body wants Abia Warriors to 'temporarily' relocate to either Enyimba Stadium, Aba, or the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu. This decision tacitly points to the fact that the body is showing its preference to astro turf Pitches at the expense of natural grass Pitches despite the gulf of risks involved in playing on astro turf Pitches.

It's because of the high risks of playing on astro turf Pitches on players that Super Eagles matches are taken to natural grass Pitches each time they come to honour national assignments.

They are well aware that astro turf Pitches are harmful to players careers and would dare not to accept playing on it. Certainly, Umuahia Stadium is just one of a few natural grass Pitches in the country. Again, the Umuahia Stadium was given a face-lift prior to the start of the season. It was similarly inspected by the league Board's inspectors and granted approval for the 2023/2024 league season.

It therefore smarks of a suspicion if after just three or four months after the approval, the league body is now coming hard on the pitch. Wouldn't it have been better to ask Abia Warriors to make a quick fix of any observed shortfall on the pitch like watering which could be done within two weeks (before next home game) than outright relocation? 

A former Nigeria international now a coach in one of the NNL clubs once told me soon on arrival from abroad that playing on astro turf a high risk for players. "Just watch, before mid-season, nearly half of Heartland players would be off the game due to injuries as a result of playing on the astro turf", the player sounded when the Naze Millionaires relocated to the Okigwe astro turf Stadium . And it so happened.

Therefore, our league body should not prioritise astro turf at the expense of natural grass pitches.