Nigerian football fans are in for a treat with the news that La Liga
giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will soon be visiting the country on
a playing tour.
This was disclosed by the President of La Liga, Javier Tebas, during
the official opening of the Nigeria La Liga office in Abuja over the
weekend.
It is pursuant to the 5-year Memorandum of Understanding between the League Management Company of Nigeria (LMC) and the Spanish league organizers.
Tebas, who described the bilateral agreement as a win-win venture for
both countries, said Nigerian stars have been plying their trade in La
Liga for a while and this could only increase the Nigerian presence in
their clubs.
He also mentioned the already scheduled game between the Nigerian Premier League
all-stars with their Spanish counterparts next week in Spain, which
according to him, could prove enormously beneficial to both countries.
While responding, Chairman of the LMC and first vice president of the
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mallam Shehu Dikko, said they chose
to partner La Liga because it is the best league in the world and
affords tremendous opportunities.
Dikko, who stated that the collaborative venture is already yielding
results as a number of African leagues aim to emulate the model, called
for all hands to be on deck as Nigerian football is lifted to its true
place.