Oluwashina Okeleji oluwashina@gmail.com
English side Arsenal FC will host the Nigeria Local Organising Committee (LOC) at the Emirates Stadium this weekend.
A delegation led by Razaq Bello-Osagie will finalise discussion with Arsenal and sign the tour’s contract alongside DanJan Sports limited. This will formalise and officially ratify the club’s summer pre-season tour to Nigeria. It will be the English side’s first ever visit to Africa. The club traditionally hosts an annual pre-season tournament at the Emirates Stadium, but they opted to postpone the event for a year because of the 2012 London Olympics. As part of their preparation for the 2012/13 season, the club have opted to connect with their huge fan base in Africa, by visiting the continent.
In July 2008, DanJan Sports brought two other English clubs, Manchester United and Portsmouth, to the Nigerian capital Abuja for pre-season friendly.
Manchester United took on Portsmouth before Pompey then played against Nigeria Premier League (NPL) side Kano Pillars.
The English Premier League is hugely popular in football-mad Nigeria, with millions of fans following the league on both terrestrial and satellite television.
A delegation led by Razaq Bello-Osagie will finalise discussion with Arsenal and sign the tour’s contract alongside DanJan Sports limited. This will formalise and officially ratify the club’s summer pre-season tour to Nigeria. It will be the English side’s first ever visit to Africa. The club traditionally hosts an annual pre-season tournament at the Emirates Stadium, but they opted to postpone the event for a year because of the 2012 London Olympics. As part of their preparation for the 2012/13 season, the club have opted to connect with their huge fan base in Africa, by visiting the continent.
In July 2008, DanJan Sports brought two other English clubs, Manchester United and Portsmouth, to the Nigerian capital Abuja for pre-season friendly.
Manchester United took on Portsmouth before Pompey then played against Nigeria Premier League (NPL) side Kano Pillars.
The English Premier League is hugely popular in football-mad Nigeria, with millions of fans following the league on both terrestrial and satellite television.
