Once a source of pride and excitement, the Ilesa Sports Stadium — once vibrant with cheers, drums, and youthful energy — now lies in ruins. Overgrown with weeds and stripped of its former glory, the stadium stands today as a silent reminder of neglect and broken promises.
For decades, the Ilesa Sports Stadium served as the heartbeat of sporting life in Ijesaland. It hosted thrilling football matches, community celebrations, and youth competitions that drew crowds from across the Southwest. It was more than just a sports ground — it was a cultural landmark where dreams were born.
But those glory days are now distant memories.
During a visit by this medium , the desolate state of the facility painted a grim picture. The grandstands have collapsed, the once-green pitch has turned to bush, and the few remaining structures are in decay.
One of the residents, Mr. Fadahunsi Bejide, who has lived near the stadium for nearly three decades, shared his memories with visible emotion.
“In those days, the Ilesa Stadium was always alive. Teams like Dynamos FC from Iperindo and Ilesa West FC used to play here. People came from Ibadan, Lagos, even Benin just to watch matches. Stars like Suji Olagunju, Odidi, Segun Odegbami, and Baba Ogunjobi all played on this very pitch,” he said.
He recounted how plans were once made to include facilities like a basketball court and swimming pool, but those dreams never materialized.
“Eventually, the place became bushy again. It was some determined youths who cleared part of it just to have a small field to play on,” he added.
Like Mr. Bejide, many residents have repeatedly appealed to the Osun State Government to rescue the facility. Their hope is that once the renovation of the Osogbo City Stadium is completed, attention will turn to Ilesa.
“If this stadium is rehabilitated, it will benefit Ijesaland immensely,” Bejide said. “Many of our youths who are drifting into crime will find purpose through sports.”
The concern is not his alone. On social media, several Ijesa indigenes have voiced frustration over the state of the stadium.
Among them is Mr. Oyedeji Kayode, who reminisced about the once-vibrant sports culture that united the community.
“What happened to Ilesa Stadium? I remember when International Breweries FC played against big teams like Leventis United and IICC. Those were unforgettable moments! But now, both the team and the stadium are gone. How did we allow this?” he lamented.
He further recalled “That field hosted Independence Day and Children’s Day celebrations for years. Ijesa United played here in the early 1990s. Now the place has vanished beneath weeds and silence.”
Observers trace the stadium’s decline to an abandoned reconstruction attempt during Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s administration, which was never completed. Since then, successive governments have shown little or no interest in the project.
While the ongoing infrastructural development in Ilesa — such as the dual carriageway from Owa’s Palace through Ereja to Brewery Express — has been widely applauded, residents insist that sports development should not be left behind.
They believe that reviving the Ilesa Sports Stadium would serve multiple purposes: it would provide an avenue for youth engagement, help reduce crime, stimulate the local economy, and restore communal pride.
Currently, the only active sporting space in the city is the Ilesa Grammar School Sports Arena, which is limited in both size and facilities. Sports enthusiasts say this is grossly inadequate for a city as historically rich and populous as Ilesa.
“It’s sad that our children have no proper place to train or compete,” said a local coach, Mr. Olabode.
“Reviving the stadium would give our youth a chance to dream again.”
The call is now louder than ever — from the streets, the schools, and the social media space. The people of Ijesaland are appealing to Governor Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke to extend his administration’s spirit of infrastructural revival to the forgotten sports arena.
Restoring the Ilesa Sports Stadium is not just about sports; it is about giving the people of Ijesaland a renewed sense of belonging, pride, and hope.
The time to act is now. Bring Ilesa Sports Stadium back to life.
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