Mamelodi Sundowns offered us a deal to play both legs in South Africa – Remo Stars CEO Kunle Soname reveals

Remo Stars chairman Kunle Soname has disclosed that South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns proposed an unusual arrangement for their CAF Champions League showdown – offering to host both legs in Pretoria at their own expense.

With Remo Stars still refurbishing the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta ahead of the second preliminary round tie, Sundowns suggested staging the two matches in South Africa to ease the Nigerians’ logistical burden. The offer included paying for Remo Stars’ flights, providing the match venue, and allowing the Nigerian club to retain gate proceeds and television revenue for the “home” leg.

Despite the tempting package, Soname said he rejected the proposal on grounds of national pride, aware that his side faced a daunting challenge against the 2016 African champions.

“When it was clear that we were to meet Mamelodi Sundowns, Mamelodi approached us officially, saying that they would want us to come and play both legs in South Africa,” Soname told Eagles Sports Radio.

“Mamelodi approached us that they are open to hosting us in South Africa for both legs because they knew that we were renovating our turf. So, they knew that we wouldn’t be playing in our stadium.

“They knew that we needed to go to Uyo, and going to Uyo would be expensive because there were expenses. They said they would cover the cost of our flight tickets,” explained the Nigerian businessman.

“They said you don’t need to hire a pitch for your home match, you will play on our pitch. The gate tickets and the TV rights for the first leg, which is your own home game, you will receive them.”

Soname admitted that, from a business perspective, accepting the deal would have been the wise move, especially given his team’s competitive gap with the South African giants.

“In my mind, as a businessman, without pride or arrogance, should I have taken the offer? We didn’t take the offer because of the prestige of Nigeria; that no, we are not going to agree to that.

“But we knew that was the right thing to do; it would have been a good business, I mean, commercially, it was clear to me that we obviously did not stand a chance against them,” he added.

Remo Stars eventually hosted the first leg in Abeokuta and fell to a heavy 5–1 defeat, before losing the return leg to bow out 7–1 on aggregate.

Soname conceded that the decision did not change the inevitable outcome, but he stands by it.

“We would still have lost just like we did now. It will have cost us zero. We would have made a bit of an income, so, in terms of stadiums, we still have a bit of a way to go.”