Arsenal set for pre-season tour of Nigeria

Arsenal will go to Nigeria as part of this summer’s pre-season tour.

With Ivan Gazidis announcing that this year’s Emirates Cup would be postponed due to the London 2012 Olympics, the club will head to Africa with the objective of extending the Arsenal brand in Nigeria – as well as the African continent as a whole.

Speaking to the BBC, Arsenal’s marketing director Angus Kinnear revealed the latest on the club’s pre-season plans.

“Everything is right on track. Nigeria will happen. We had a successful meeting and covered a lot of ground.

“It’s very important to get the right message across to the fans in West Africa and the entire continent.

“There is a strong desire to connect with our fans in Africa and the first step starts in Nigeria.”

However, with the 2012 European Championships also taking place in Poland and Ukraine this summer, a handful of Arsenal’s high-profile players may miss out on the tour.

Dates have not been confirmed.

by MIKE HARVEY | Follow me on Twitter @My_Karvey