FIFA World Cup Trophy: Why tour came to Nigeria

FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour arrived in Abuja, Nigeria on Tuesday, March before it left for Lagos on Friday, March 9.

Nigerians are still buzzing from the experience of seeing the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Abuja and Lagos.

Ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, FIFA and long-time sponsors Coca-Cola are touring with the trophy.

 

The tour kicked off in Russia, host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and will touch down in a total of 91 cities in 51 countries across six continents before the final.

It arrived in Abuja, Nigeria on Tuesday, March 6 before it left for Lagos on Friday, March 9.

Why the Tour is necessary

According to Mrs Soji Omoigui, who a Senior Brand Manager at Coca-Cola, the tour is used to build excitement ahead of the World Cup.

“The FIFA World Cup as it happens every four years is a big celebration for the football family, it is a big event and to keep it beyond the period when the games are played what we do as a company and FIFA partners, is take the trophy around the world,” Omoigui told Pulse Sports.

 

“The Coca-Cola Company take the trophy around the world because the Coca-Cola Company is the only company licensed by FIFA to take the trophy around.

“We use it to build excitement for the World Cup, we use it to build consumer participation and to get consumer ready for the FIFA World Cup that will happen in June.”

Many have expressed surprise at the World Cup Trophy Tour hitting countries like Uganda, South Africa who will not be playing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Qualified or not, the Tour is coming

But according to Omoigui, the tour is both for countries playing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and those who did not qualify.

“It’s not just countries that qualified for the World Cup, you have those that qualified and countries that just love football and want the trophy to be in their countries,” she added.

 

“So once the request comes in, the trophy goes there. So it’s actually the countries who request that see the World Cup Trophy in their countries.”

Fans in Lagos got to see and pose for photos with the trophy at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Saturday, March 10.

Patoranking, Reekado Banks and Dremo were also present to add thrills for the excited fans.