PFAN To Organise Novelty Match To Mark National Stadium Lagos At 50

Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) will organise a novelty football match between former footballers and Nollywood FC to mark 50 years of the National Stadium, Lagos.

This was disclosed in a press release signed by Secretary and Board Of Trustees (PFAN) Comrade Austin Popo.

The match will hold at the Astroturf of the National stadium on Saturday 28th January, 2023. 

Speaking on the novelty match, Popo said:”For us; the ex-footballers, the story of Nigerian football can not be told without mentioning the National Stadium Lagos; the theater of Nigeria’s sporting dream @ 50. 

“National Stadium Lagos has become a home for sporting memories, amongst them is the African Nations Cup in year 2000. In the finals, the stadium was filled up, Cameroon took the lead and went ahead in the game, but the Super Eagles were ready to fight back. Austin Jay Jay Okocha volleyed an equalizer that made the game 2-2. 

“We will never forget Victor Ikpeba’s penalty kick. We knew it was a goal, but we had no VAR to prove it, Victor Ikpeba’s reaction assisted the referee to take a decision in favour of Cameroon. 

“In this same stadium, the mathematical Segun Odegbami taught many defenders what a quadratic equation was and his dribbles left them drawing parallelograms. 

“Muda Lawal would run miles and miles, people wondered what kind of lungs Muda had. All of this culminated in winning the Nations Cup in 1980 after the disappointment of Godwin Odiye in 1978 World Cup qualifier. 

“In this same stadium Sam Okwaraji died. We can go on and on to recount memorable events denoting this theater of dreams. 

“In celebrating the emergence of our theater of sporting dreams 50 years ago, and to recall our amazing memories of the National Stadium, Lagos, the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), have put together a novelty football match to mark the golden jubilee of the National Stadium, Lagos. 

“The Jubilee Novelty Football Match which shall feature our ex-footballers and Nollywood FC will hold at the Astroturf of the National stadium on Saturday 28th January, 2023.“