World Football Stars Avoid Nigeria, Holiday In Other African Countries
By Amaechi Agbo
With the 2021/2022 football calendar season ending in May, several world football stars embarked on holidays to various continents and nations to relax their muscles and have a feel of new climes, environment and cultures.
However, while some of these football super stars chose many African countries for their holiday destination, Nigeria have been left behind.
Best Choice Sports understands that players such as Manchester United star, Paul Pogba is currently holidaying in his African home, Guinea, AS Roma manager, Jose Mourinho is in Tanzania, just as Mbappe, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, Camavinga, Dembele, Slimani, Bennacer and Benrahma are spending their holidays in Morocco.
Manchester United star, Paul Labile Pogba received a hero’s welcome on arrival to his home land Guinea on Tuesday
Pogba, 29, was born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France to Guinean parents. He is a Muslim.
He has two older brothers who are twins – Florentin and Mathias – born in Guinea, who are also footballers and play for the Guinean national team.
Florentin currently plays as a defender for FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, while Mathias plays as a forward for ASM Belfort. Growing up, Pogba was a fan of Arsenal
In 2018, he helped France win the FIFA Worlds Cup in Russia after beating Croatia in final.
Former Chelsea manager, Mourinho arrived Tanzania for his vacation and have been pictured interacting with the local people in that country, sharing bondings and culture.
Mourinho, a Portuguese, has maintained a lasting affinity with Africans as he has consistently recruited Africans into his teams.
He recruited Jonn Obi Mikel, (Nigeria) Michael Essien (Ghana) and Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) for Chelsea, Eric Baily of Ivory Coast for Manchester United as well as Tammy Abraham for AS Roma, among others
PSG star, Kylian Mbappe, Chelsea midfield machine, N’Golo Kante, Manchester City winger, Riyad Mahrez as well as Camavinga, Dembele, Slimani, Bennacer and Benrahma are spending their holidays in Morocco.
Chelsea and German attacker, Kai Havertz is spending his holiday in South Africa just as Barcelona forward Memphis Depay and Quincy Promes are spending quality times in Ghana.
Samuel Umtiti and Aurélien Tchouaméni are spending their holidays in Cameroon.
Inaki Williams, Nico Williams and Rhian Brewster are spending their holidays in Ghana. While Mauro Icardi also visited Kenya.
With the 2023 pre-season set to commence in July, analysts say football super stars as well as world tourists would continue to avoid Nigeria not because the country does not have serene environment and beautiful places for relaxation and sightseeing, but due to violence and insecurity.
In the first quarter of the 2022, 1, 743 Nigerians have been killed in various attacks in Nigeria with kidnapping, banditry as well as robbery becoming the order of the day.