Arsenal Cancel Pre-season Trip To Nigeria
Barely three weeks after the Brazilian Football Association cancelled the highly anticipated international friendly between the Samba boys of Brazil and the Nigeria Super Eagles billed for Abuja National Stadium in September, soccer loving Nigerians have been dealt another cruel blow of near miss and disappointment as the much publicised pre-season trip of Arsenal FC of England to Nigeria where they were scheduled to play a friendly with the Super Eagles of Nigeria has been cancelled by the London club citing “complexities linked to the planned game” in Abuja on 5 August
“We could not get comfortable on everything needed to satisfy our requirements,” said Arsenal marketing director Angus Kinnear.
The club are now planning to visit the country next year instead.
In a statement on the club’s official website, marketing director Angus Kinnear said: “Bringing a top-level club to an international market is always complicated and logistically challenging.
“With the proposed match in Nigeria planned for early August, we could not get comfortable on everything needed to satisfy our requirements, so we have reluctantly taken the decision to postpone the team’s visit.”
Speaking further Kinnear said, “We have a huge and loyal following in Africa, and we are sorry that the team will not be visiting this summer. However, we have a long-term commitment to Nigeria.
“In addition, we also have some exciting forthcoming activities planned with our commercial partners in Nigeria – Emirates, Airtel and Malta Guinness – which will kick off in the next few weeks,” he concluded
