England World Cup team travel to Nigeria to seek vote

By Andrew Warshaw

December 14 – England’s 2018 World Cup bid team are stepping up the lobbying campaign with yet another attempt to woo the all-important African vote.

With Africa ineligible to stage the tournament in 2018, the four African members on FIFA’s 24-strong Executive Committee are vital to any winning bid.

Even Danny Jordaan, the public face of next summer’s World Cup in South Africa, recently admitted as much.

As a result, an England 2018 delegation led by bid chairman Lord Triesman will make a formal presentation to Nigerian Executive Committee member Dr Amos Adamu in Abuja tomorrow.

Several bid members, including David Beckham, met informally with Adumu in the build-up to World Cup draw Cape Town earlier this month ahead of this formal presentation which it is hoped will cement relations.

He also met with Paul Elliott (pictured), an England 2018 Board member, during the Soccrex Convention in Johannesburg.
Triesman is being accompanied to the Nigerian capital by former Manchester United striker Andrew Cole alongside England 2018 Director of Campaign Operations, Jane Bateman.

Cole will also visit a local school involved in a FIFA-backed initiative to ensure education is available for all children around the world by 2015.

“We are enormously grateful to Dr Adamu for giving us the time to discuss our bid with him,” said Triesman on the eve of the visit.

“It will further develop our understanding of what we need to do to stage a tournament that would be good for the game all over the world.

“I always appreciate the opportunity to meet with colleagues from world football to talk about the future of our great game.

“I am also looking forward to spending some time in Nigeria as it is such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable footballing nation.”

The choice of Cole, recently added to England 2018’s list of ambassadors, is significant since Adumu is understood to be a Manchester United fan.

“I feel privileged to be able to visit one of the local schools in Abuja,” said Cole.

“Wherever you go football is a universal language and it can be used to help youngsters learn valuable lessons.”

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