Nigeria Out of World Cup Trophy Tour...

Nigeria had been left out of the
traditional FIFA World Cup trophy tour which began atop of the Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The trophy is currently on the Oceanic Island of Vanuatu, as it was scheduled to leave Fiji Islands yesterday.

It was the third time that the world’s most coveted single sports’ prize would go round the world and Nigeria has participated in the two previous ones.

The trophy would travel round the world for nine months before returning to Brazil, the World Cup hosts. It was meant to travel the six confederations and make stops in 88 countries in 267 days.  Sadly, Nigeria was excluded this time around, though the trophy would visit eight other African countries, including the troubled Egypt, which is one of the 10 African countries jostling for places in the next year’s World Cup.

The other African countries to enjoy the trophy tour are Ghana, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.

The iconic trophy would enter Africa through Egypt on November 14, a day before the country faces Ghana in the return leg of the final qualifier for the World Cup. Since Egypt would have the trophy in its territory for three days, it would have the rare opportunity of hosting the cup during its World Cup qualifying game.

The trophy would then be taken to Tunisia for another three days from November 17. From there it would be taken to Algeria, Morocco and Ghana, which would be hosting the cup for the third consecutive tour.

The nine-month tour of the trophy was designed to give people around the world, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the unique aura of the most coveted trophy in football.

Starting from Accra, Ghana, the trophy toured the world for the first time on January 7, to April 10, 2006. It made an unprecedented tour, visiting 31 cities in 28 countries over a three-month stretch.