Nigeria to hold legends match for 1990s football generation
A football legends match dedicated to the generation of Nigerian players from the mid-1990s will take place on November 8 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos, Nigeria. The initiative was announced by the African Export-Import Bank, Afreximbank, through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme and TopTier Sports Management, Premium Times Nigeria reports.
The match will be part of the CANEX WKND 2026 programme. According to the organizers, football stars from Nigeria, other African countries and beyond are expected to take part. The event is timed to mark the 30th anniversary of Nigeria’s Olympic football gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games, as well as the generation that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and represented the country at that year’s World Cup.
Support for former athletes
Afreximbank Director for Creative Industries and Diaspora Themwa Gondwe said the project is intended to recognize the achievements of footballers who changed the global perception of African football, as well as to launch a discussion on the future of sport and the creative economy. Chichi Nwoko, founder and chief executive officer of TopTier Sports Management and What Media Group, said the initiative is intended not only to honor the players but also to raise the issue of supporting them during and after their sporting careers.
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Former Nigeria national team forward Daniel Amokachi called on companies to create sustainable social support programmes for former footballers and other athletes, including pension mechanisms. He said that a significant number of his colleagues from that generation are facing difficulties.
Presentation participants
Amokachi, Mutiu Adepoju, Garba Lawal, Alloy Agu, Ben Iroha, Finidi George and Victor Ikpeba attended the presentation at the Lagos Continental hotel. The organizers named betting company Bet9ja as the match’s main sponsor and said they were inviting other corporate entities to provide support.
Nigeria’s 1994 national team won its second Africa Cup of Nations title in Tunisia and reached the round of 16 at the World Cup in the United States. At the 1996 Olympics, the Nigerian team defeated Mexico, Brazil and Argentina on its way to gold.
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