Atletico Madrid will play Nigeria in a post-season friendly on May 22, just six days after they play in the UEFA Europa League final.
According to AS‘ Jose Pablo Diaz, Los Rojiblancos will play the Super Eagles at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria, as part of the inaugural GOtv MAX Cup, arranged by video entertainment company MultiChoice Nigeria.
The match will also serve as preparation for Nigeria ahead of the World Cup, in which they’ll play in a group with Croatia, Iceland and Argentina.
La Liga president Javier Tebas said:
“This is an historic announcement and we are excited to share this news with our Nigerian fans: Atletico de Madrid, one of La Liga’s greatest clubs, will come to Nigeria and give our fans the chance to enjoy watching their stars up close. Africa and Nigeria in particular are very important for us and have a lot of love for Spanish football, something we are proud of.”
The match will be played against Nigeria’s African Nations Championship side, which is made up of locally-based players.
While their World Cup squad will predominantly be comprised of players who ply their trade outside Africa, the friendly could give local players a late chance to impress with the hope of making the final 23-man squad.
As for Atleti, the timing of the friendly—shortly after the Europa League final with Marseille and ahead of the World Cup, in which many of their players will feature—is hardly ideal.
source;www.bleachersreport.com
