Arsenal to play pre-season game in Nigeria 5th August 2012

“Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and the club with arguably the biggest Arsenal  fan base in the country is visiting in August.”




Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that the first-team squad will travel to Nigeria this summer for a pre-season match in Abuja on Sunday, August 5.

In what will be the Gunners’ first match on Nigerian soil, Arsène Wenger’s side will play at the 60,000 capacity Abuja National Stadium. Arsenal’s opposition will be confirmed soon and is likely to be a leading African national team.

The Club last visited Africa during a tour to South Africa in July 1993, and is returning as a result of the fantastic support which exists for the team, not only in Nigeria, but across the entire continent.

The visit to Nigeria will conclude an exciting pre-season tour schedule for Arsenal, who return to both China and Malaysia in July, following the success of last term’s Asia Tour.

The Asia leg of the tour starts in Kuala Lumpur, when the team plays against a Malaysia XI on Tuesday, July 24. The Gunners then travel to China, to play against Manchester City in Beijing on Friday, July 27, followed by a trip to Hong Kong for a match against Kitchee FC on Sunday, July 29