Nigeria watches the return of the Premier League

As the first match of the resumed Premier League started on Wednesday, Nigerians crowded around their screens to watch Manchester City play Arsenal, the national favourite.

Despite the threat of coronavirus, football fans across the country entered bars and public spaces to watch the sport as a community again.

Nigeria has a limit on public gatherings of up to 20 people, but many more than that were seen crowding into the Sir T Pub in Lagos to support their beloved Arsenal. Unfortunately for them, Manchester City proved to be the superior side, winning 3 : 0 in spectacular fashion.

For many of the viewers, however, the score was irrelevant: that the Premier League had returned was simply enough. One man said, “This is the only thing that gives meaning to the days and separates the weekdays from the weekends – we are tired of coronavirus”.  

Public viewings are currently permitted under the eased lockdown restrictions, but a nationwide curfew of 22:00 is still enforced. Fresh cases of Covid-19 are still being recorded in Nigeria, rising by an additional 490 on Tuesday to take the total number of cases up to 17,148.

Nonetheless, as the Premier League returns and an element of normality is restored, football fans seem to be willing to take the risk.

Photo: POOL