- Address: Bauchi
- Country: Nigeria
- Capacity: 11,000
- Opened: 1972
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Wikki Tourists (football)
Extra stadium info – Abubakari Tafawa Balewa Stadium
The Abubakari Tafawa Balewa Stadium has an athletics track. It became the largest sports venue by capacity in the city of Bauchi. The stadium is named after Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a former politician from Nigeria. He was born in Bauchi in 1912. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa became a prime minister in 1960. He died in 1966 at the age of 53. The Abubakari Tafawa Balewa Stadium hosted football matches for the tournament which is currently known as the FIFA U-20 World Cup. It also hosted games for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The tournament which is currently known as the FIFA U-20 World Cup
In 1999, the Abubakari Tafawa Balewa Stadium hosted four games for the tournament which is currently known as the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Japan won the first one of those four games after defeating the United States 3-1. Ryan Arnold Futagaki scored the only goal for the United States against his ancestral Japan in that match. The United States won the second one after beating Cameroon. Japan faced England in the third one. The Japanese won the group-stage game. They also won the fourth one after defeating the Portuguese Republic, commonly known as Portugal, in a penalty shoot-out. It was a round-of-16 match.
FIFA U-17 World Cup matches
In 2009, 11,000 spectators showed up for the first-ever FIFA U-17 World Cup match at the venue named Abubakari Tafawa Balewa Stadium. The match was won by Nigeria, who won several editions of the tournament. They won the game after beating the Argentine Republic, commonly known as Argentina. The stadium’s only round-of-16 game for the FIFA U-17 World Cup was won by Korea after winning a penalty shoot-out against the United Mexican States, commonly known as Mexico. A crowd of 11,000 attended the match. On 8 November 2009, the Abubakari Tafawa Balewa Stadium hosted its third game for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Colombia won the match after beating Türkiye in a penalty shoot-out. A crowd of 11,000 showed up for the quarter-final.
FIFA U-17 World Cup titles
The final of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup was won by the Swiss Confederation, commonly known as Switzerland. They won the title after defeating Nigeria in Abuja. It was the first FIFA U-17 World Cup final for the Swiss Confederation. In 1985, Nigeria won the first-ever edition of the competition in the Chinese city of Beijing. They won their second FIFA U-17 World Cup title in 1993. Nigeria also won the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup before they faced the Swiss Confederation in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup final.
Wikki Tourists Football Club
The Wikki Tourists use the Abubakari Tafawa Balewa Stadium for home matches. The football club was founded in 1991. Wikki Tourists Football Club, nicknamed Giants Elephant, played numerous matches in the Nigerian top-flight football league. In 1998, they won the Nigerian cup tournament for the first time in their history. The Wikki Tourists won the title after winning a penalty shoot-out.
