Former Super Eagles captain, Segun Odegbami, has disclosed how Manchester United turned down the opportunity to play a friendly match at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, Nigeria.
Odegbami revealed that the proposal to face an undisclosed team at the stadium was declined by the Red Devils. He brought attention to this incident while advocating for improvements in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to elevate it to a higher standard.
The football legend emphasized the need for upgrading playing surfaces to natural grass, similar to those found in European football stadiums. Odegbami pointed out that Manchester United’s refusal was attributed to the artificial turf at Teslim Balogun Stadium.
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“I went to negotiate with Manchester United to come and play here when I was working with Globacom,” he shared on Arise TV. “Discussed everything, when they now asked where the game was going to be played, at Teslim Balogun Stadium, artificial turf, they would not come.
“We played against so many foreign teams in those days because it was grass. You need grass turfs, and that’s partly why I went to AFCON.”