Lagos will host a star-studded Legends Football Match on November 8, 2026, with former Super Eagles players Mutiu Adepoju and Victor Ikpeba among the sporting icons and celebrities expected to take part.
The fixture will be played at the renowned Onikan Stadium. TopTier Sports Management is organising the event in partnership with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme.
Quick facts
- Event: Legends Football Match
- Date: November 8, 2026
- Venue: Onikan Stadium, Lagos
- Organisers: TopTier Sports Management and Afreximbank’s CANEX programme
- Featured former Super Eagles players: Mutiu Adepoju and Victor Ikpeba
TopTier Sports Management founder and chief executive Chichi Nwoko said at a press conference that the game would honour the Nigerian players who showcased African ability three decades ago while also examining how the next generation can be supported.
Nwoko said the partnership was intended to help create systems that allow African athletes to build sustainable careers beyond their playing days, both within football and in wider professional life. She described that need as a major gap that the project aims to address.
Temwa Gondwe, Afreximbank’s director of creatives and diaspora, also attended the event. He said the 1996 Super Eagles had achieved more than Olympic success by changing international perceptions of African talent.
Gondwe added that sport, entertainment and culture now sit at the centre of Africa’s creative economy. In his view, the Legends Game will celebrate the continent’s football history while providing a powerful platform to explore the global commercial growth and empowerment of African athletes and creative professionals.
The 1990s were a landmark period for Nigerian football. The Golden Eaglets, featuring players such as Kanu Nwankwo and Wilson Oruma, won the 1993 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
Nigeria then claimed the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, having been beaten by Algeria in the 1990 final. The decade culminated with the Dream Team winning Olympic football gold, Africa’s first in the sport, led by Kanu, the gifted Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha, Emmanuel Amuneke and Victor Ikpeba.
