Nigeria joins forces for 2010 bid

Odegbami is heading Nigeria's World Cup bid

Eniwoke Ibagere BBC Sport Online in Lagos

Nigeria says its bid for the 2010 World Cup would involve co-hosting the tournament with four other countries.

"Cameroon, Ghana, Benin and Togo are our West African neighbours that are involved in this grand-scale plan," former Super Eagles captain Segun Odegbami told BBC Sport Online on Monday.

"We have spoken to their football ambassadors and we've got their governments to back it. The Nigerian government is in much support."

Our plan is to have four of the venues in Nigeria and the rest spread across our neighbours

Segun Odegbami

Fifa announced on Monday that six African nations had formally declared their interest in hosting the 2010 World Cup finals, which have been guaranteed to Africa.

Nigeria only registered their interest to hold the tournament a day before the Fifa deadline.

Odegbami blamed the delay on getting the other parties to accept the West African plan.

"But while Nigeria is the fulcrum on which this bid is rotating, the other four are ancillary," he said.

"The idea has sparked great interest among the countries and they say it's too good to be true that they could be having World Cup games in their countries.

'Serious work'

"Our plan is to have four of the venues in Nigeria and the rest spread across our four neighbours."

The bid committee will be inaugurated in the Nigerian capital Abuja this week.

And Odegbami added: "Then we'll start serious work to bring out something more concrete by April."

The bidders have until 30 April to formally confirm or withdraw their declaration.

Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia are also in the running.