The African Export Import Bank, Afreximbank, through its Creative Africa Nexus programme, CANEX, has joined forces with TopTier Sports Management and What Media Group to host a major Legends Football Match in Lagos.
The organisers announced the plans at a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, revealing that the much anticipated game will take place on November 8, 2026, at Onikan Stadium. The match will form part of the major events lined up for CANEX WKND 2026.
The football spectacle is expected to bring together some of Africa and the world’s most celebrated football figures as they come together to honour the generation of Nigerian players that made history on the international stage three decades ago.
The event will mark 30 years since the remarkable achievements of the mid 1990s Super Eagles, including Nigeria’s 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph, the team’s impressive appearance at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the historic Olympic gold medal won at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Beyond celebrating the achievements of the former players, the organisers say the event will also draw attention to the strong relationship between sports, entertainment and Africa’s wider creative economy.
CANEX WKND, which serves as Afreximbank’s major platform for promoting and supporting Africa’s creative and cultural industries, is expected to attract football supporters, members of the creative community, the general public and local and international media to Lagos for the occasion.
Speaking at the press conference, Temwa Gondwe, Director of Creatives and Diaspora at Afreximbank, highlighted the lasting significance of the 1996 Olympic winning team and its influence on perceptions of African talent around the world.
Gondwe said the team achieved more than an Olympic victory, arguing that its success helped change the way African sporting talent was viewed globally. He also pointed to the growing connection between sports, entertainment and culture as an important driver of Africa’s creative economy.
According to him, the Legends Football Match provides an opportunity to look beyond the celebration itself and explore ways of creating greater commercial opportunities and sustainable careers for African athletes and creatives, both within the continent and internationally.
Chichi Nwoko, Founder and CEO of TopTier Sports Management and What Media Group, who is leading the planning and execution of the match, also stressed the need for stronger long term support for footballers after their playing careers.
Nwoko said the achievements of Nigeria’s football legends three decades ago should not only be remembered but should also prompt a broader conversation about what is being done to support today’s athletes and those coming behind them.
She explained that the partnership with Afreximbank is aimed at helping create the structures and opportunities needed for African athletes to build sustainable careers beyond the football pitch.
The Legends Football Match is expected to contribute to CANEX WKND 2026’s wider ambition of strengthening Lagos’ position as a leading centre for Africa’s creative industries.
Organisers also believe an event of this scale could generate wider economic benefits by promoting tourism, attracting investment, creating new business opportunities and encouraging international partnerships across sports, entertainment and the creative sector.
As preparations continue, the November 8 event is shaping up to be both a celebration of one of Nigeria’s most memorable football generations and a platform for discussing the future of African talent.
