Mwaruwari to grace Nwankwo Kanu Testimonial match

Nwankwo Kanu Testimonial match in Lagos today in a busy weekend for African superstars.
The African football stars will also attend Didier Drogba’s wedding, whose elaborate ceremony starts today, in Nice, France.
Drogba is tying the knot with his wife Lalla Diakite.
The couple have three kids.
African Footballer of the Year, Samuel Eto’o, is using a private jet that will fly him from Yaounde into Lagos today before flying him out of Nigeria, shortly after the match, to France for Drogba’s wedding ceremony.
Eto’o will arrive in Lagos in the company of his Cameroon international teammate Jean Makoun who plays for Aston Villa in the English Premiership.
Chelsea midfield powerhouse Michael Essien is also playing in the Nwankwo Kanu Testimonial and then flying direct to Nice for Drogba’s wedding.
Benjani was in Johannesburg yesterday but was due to leave South Africa in the evening for Lagos to play for the Friends of Kanu against the Super Eagles Select in a match that will mark the Nigerian striker’s retirement from international football.
Kanu has played for his country for 17 years.
Benjani, who last year retired from international football, is a very good friend of Kanu after the two became teammates at English club Portsmouth.
The former Warriors’ skipper said it was an honour to play in the testimonial.
Kanu also invited former Zifa chief executive, Henrietta Rushwaya, for his testimonial match and she arrived in Lagos on Thursday.
“I wish to formally invite you to my testimonial match slated for June 11, 2011, at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria, signifying the end of my international career that has spanned over 17 years,” read Kanu’s invitation letter sent to Rushwaya.
“I appeal to you and our other colleagues to support this event and make it a special day in my life.
“The proceeds of the event will be given to my charity organisation, the Kanu Heart Foundation, to continue the treatment of Africans, especially children living with heart related diseases.
“The organising committee of the event shall be responsible for your air tickets and hotel accommodation as we believe that your presence will go a long way in making the event a success.”
Dutch coach Jo Bonferere, who guided the Nigerians to gold at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, is also expected to grace the testimonial. Some of the football stars expected for the testimonial match are Senegalese footballer, El-Hadji Diouf, Ghanaian stars Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari and Emmanuel Adebayor.
Rigobert Song, the former Cameroonian skipper, and Alex Song of Arsenal, Yaya and Kolo Toure and South African stars, Siphiwe Tshabalala and Aaron Mokoena, are also expected to play in the testimonial.
“I was not surprised at all when I got the invite. I think it has to do with playing in the World Cup and my performance for the national team – that got me noticed the world over,” Tshabalala told Business Day.
“I’m delighted to have been invited to Kanu’s testimonial match and this is great for my profile as a player and it is great that it came from someone I grew up idolising, so I have to make the most of it.”
Kanu’s teammates from the great Ajax side of 1995, which won the Uefa Champions League, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Frank Rijkaard and Patrick Kluivert are also expected to grace the occasion.
Former World Footballer of the Year, Geroge Weah, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Lucas Radebe, Kalusha Bwalya, Hossam Hassan are some of the legends who are expected in Lagos for the showcase event.
Kanu won the Champions League, Uefa Cup, FA Cup, Premier League, Under-17 World Cup in 1993 and Olympic gold in 1996, when he led Nigeria to success in United States.