A retired Nigerian footballer was detained in Bangladesh trying to take a gun into the hotel where his national team is staying ahead of yesterday's game against Argentina, police said.

Emeka Ezeugo, 44, was held after a revolver was found in his bag late on Monday night by security guards at the Dhaka Westin Hotel, deputy police commissioner Khandaker Lutful Kabir told AFP.

"He said the (licensed) revolver was owned by Kaiser Hamid, a former Bangladeshi national footballer with whom he played in Dhaka's soccer league," Kabir said.

"Both of them are being interrogated because it's a security issue."