Why Man United rejected offer to play in Nigeria

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag waves to fans during the Carabao Cup fourth round match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Picture date: Wednesday November 1, 2023. Picture by: Martin Rickett/PA Wire/PA Images

by Thando Mpembe

Monday Mar 04, 2024. 16:34

Former Nigeria captain Segun Odegbami has divulged that Manchester United turned down a friendly proposal to play in the West African country.

The English football powerhouse was offered an opportunity to face an unnamed team at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in the economic hub of Nigeria, Lagos.

Odegbami pointed out that United rejected playing at the Teslim Balogun Stadium because of the playing surface.

“I went to negotiate with Manchester United to come and play here when I was working with Globacom,” Odegbami was speaking to Arise News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHYccf0Ow80

“Discussed everything, when they now asked where the game was going to be played, at Teslim Balogun Stadium, artificial turf, they would not come.

“We played against so many foreign teams in those days because it was grass. You need grass turfs and that’s partly why I went to AFCON.”

The last time United visited Nigeria was in 2008 when they faced Portsmouth in a pre-season game at the National Stadium in the country’s administrative and political capital, Abuja.