Portuguese football player Luis Nani has announced his upcoming visit to Ethiopia. The former Manchester United forward shared the news in a video posted on his social media channels, where he expressed his excitement about the trip.
Nani will be traveling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to serve as the guest of honor at the 80th-anniversary celebration of the Mechal Football Club.
In his video message, Nani conveyed his enthusiasm, stating, “Hello Ethiopians, I am proud and happy that I have received an invitation from the 80th anniversary Mechal football celebration.”
He added, “I am excited to visit Ethiopia, which has a special place for me. See you soon.”
The Mechal Football Club, established under the National Defense Army, competes in the Ethiopian Premier League.
Currently, the club is performing exceptionally well, holding the second position in the league with 57 points and being a strong contender for this year’s Premier League title.
Nani’s illustrious football career began at Sporting CP, where he joined the youth team in 2003 and made his first-team debut in 2005.
During his time at Sporting CP, he won the Portuguese Cup. His impressive performances caught the eye of Manchester United, who signed him in July 2007.
Nani quickly became a key player for the team, contributing to their success in winning four Premier League titles, two League Cups, three FA Community Shields, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.
After a loan spell back at Sporting CP, where he secured another Portuguese Cup, Nani joined Turkish side Fenerbahçe in 2015. The following year, he moved to Valencia in Spain.
In 2018, he returned to Sporting CP, winning a third Portuguese Cup and his first Portuguese League Cup before moving to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Orlando City.
As captain, he led Orlando City for three seasons before departing at the end of 2021. In January 2022, he signed with Italian club Venezia.
Internationally, Nani made his debut for Portugal in 2006, quickly becoming an integral part of the national team.
He represented Portugal in three European Championships (2008, 2012, and 2016) and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Nani played a crucial role in Portugal’s victory at Euro 2016, captaining the team to victory in the final after Cristiano Ronaldo was injured. Over his international career, he earned 112 caps and scored 24 goals for Portugal.
Nani’s visit to Ethiopia is highly anticipated by football fans and the Mechal Football Club community, who look forward to celebrating their club’s milestone anniversary with a football legend of his stature.
