After edging Monterrey 3–2 in Mexico thanks to a David Villa hat-trick, the Barça Legends are heading to Nigeria for their second outing of the season. Albert Ferrer’s side will face a team of Africa Legends on Saturday, October 25, at the 60,000-capacity Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m. local time (4 p.m. CET).
This will mark the Legends’ fifth appearance in Africa, following previous matches in Maputo (Mozambique, 2017), Mohammedia (Morocco, 2019), Lusaka (Zambia, 2023), and Kinshasa (DR Congo, 2023).
Nigeria, the host nation, is one of the continent’s football powerhouses, boasting three Africa Cup of Nations titles (1980, 1994, 2013), six runners-up medals, and six World Cup appearances. The Super Eagles also hold three Olympic football medals, including gold from Atlanta 1996.
Over the years, four Nigerians have represented Barcelona: Emmanuel Amunike (1997–2000), Samuel Okunowo (1998–99), Haruna Babangida (2000–01), and Elohor Godswill (2014). Amunike, notably, collected two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and a European Super Cup during his time at Camp Nou.
Ferrer’s squad for Abuja will include global icon Ronaldinho, alongside Ludovic Giuly, Javier Saviola, Jesús Angoy, Samuel Okunowo, Marc Valiente, Fernando Navarro, and Roberto Trashorras. More names are expected to be announced before the match.
The Africa Legends will be led by Nigerian greats Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, joined by Emmanuel Adebayor and former Barça midfielder Alex Song. Organizers say more stars with top-flight European experience will join the squad.
The Barça Legends project launched in 2016, brings together former players to promote the club’s brand and values worldwide. Since its inception, over 80 ex-players have taken part in matches across different continents.
