Lagos city will host a competitive men’s senior football match for the first time in 20 years, it has emerged.
Super Eagles will take on Lesotho in their final 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Teslim Balogun stadium, BBC Sports reports.
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials say that the number of fans allowed in to the stadium to watch the match depends on the Confederation of African Football’s COVID-19 protocols at the time.
March’s clash could see the Lagos once again becoming a permanent home for the Super Eagles, according to sports minister Sunday Dare, who is keen to renovate the dilapidated National Stadium in Lagos.
Chairman of Lagos State Sports commission, Sola Aiyepeku, told the publication;
This city is excited to host the country’s first competitive fixture in 20 years in a place where the team rarely lose.
Everything is geared towards making Lagos the home base again, because there’s a presence that this place has and demand that the fans have towards the opposition that puts them in fear.
We want the Nigeria fear factor that this city has to return and put that in the hearts and souls of teams that come here.
The last competitive game Nigeria played in Lagos was a 1-0 Nations Cup qualifying win over Zambia in January 2001, while 10 years later there was a 2-1 friendly win over Sierra Leone at the Teslim Balogun venue.
