Barcelona v Africa: 3 ex-Arsenal stars join Ronaldinho and Okocha to lead legends to Nigeria

Barcelona’s glittering past is coming to Nigeria, with the club’s Legends side set to face a star-studded line-up of African greats at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Saturday, 25 October, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Blaugrana contingent, managed by former defender Albert Ferrer, will be headlined by Brazilian icon Ronaldinho, who has confirmed his place in the squad.

He will be joined by a mix of former teammates and fan favourites, including Ludovic Giuly, Javier Saviola, Fernando Navarro, Jesús Angoy, Roberto Trashorras, Marc Valiente, and ex-Nigerian full-back Samuel Okunowo.

The opposition promises equal spectacle, with Africa Legends boasting the attacking flair of Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, the leadership of Nwankwo Kanu, the goalscoring instincts of Emmanuel Adebayor, and the midfield steel of Alex Song, who himself spent two seasons at Barcelona. Kanu, Adebayor and Song are all former Arsenal stars, with the retired Togo icon also enjoying a stint at Real Madrid.

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This fixture will be the Barça Legends’ fifth trip to Africa, following previous matches in Mozambique (2017), Morocco (2019), Zambia (2023) and DR Congo (2023). Their last outing came in Monterrey, Mexico, where a David Villa hat-trick earned them a 3-2 victory.

The Abuja showdown is expected to attract about 60,000 fans to Nigeria’s national stadium, with kick-off set for 3pm local time (4pm CET). For Ferrer’s men, it will be an opportunity to display Barça’s enduring footballing philosophy, while for the African side, it will be about celebrating the continent’s deep well of talent.

 

 

 

 

 

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Nigeria provide a fitting stage for the clash.

The Super Eagles remain one of Africa’s most successful footballing nations, with three Africa Cup of Nations titles (1980, 1994 and 2013), six runners-up finishes, and Olympic medals across three tournaments — including the historic gold at Atlanta 1996.

Barcelona also shares a special history with Nigerian football.

Four players have worn the Blaugrana shirt: Emmanuel Amunike, who lifted multiple trophies with the club; Okunowo; wonderkid Haruna Babangida; and Elohor Godswill, who featured in the Copa Catalunya.

Since its creation in 2016, the Barça Legends project has united more than 80 former players in global tours, serving as both an exhibition of footballing nostalgia and a way to extend the club’s brand worldwide.

With Ronaldinho dazzling on one side and Okocha pulling strings on the other, Abuja looks set for a festival of football that bridges continents, celebrates legends, and revives memories of an era when flair ruled the beautiful game.