Abia Governor’s Cup Football Competition restarts Monday

The ongoing 1^st Edition of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s football competition between teams across the 17 Local Government Area of Abia State restarts tomorrow, Monday, January 11, 2021 at the Umuahia Township Stadium.

The chairman of the organizing committee, Hon. Paul Mba in a Press Conference told Sports Journalists that two matches between Ohafia LGA vs Ugwunagbo and Ukwa East vs Arochukwu would be played tomorrow.

Mba who stated that Aba South LGA would be locking horns with Ukwa West LGA on Tuesday at the same venue, added Isuikwuato will be playing against Obingwa in another Tuesday encounter, while Wednesday January 13 will be observed as Break.

According to the 2020/2021 Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s football competition committee chairman, the first Quarter Final match will be played on Thursday between Umuahia South v Isialangwa North.

On Friday January 15, Umuahia North will be playing against Umunneochi LGA in a second semi-final game, while on Monday January 18, Ohafia/Ugwunagbo vs Ukwa East/Arochukwu 3^rd semi-final game will be played at the stadium.

On Tuesday January 19, the 4^th round of the semi-final match it will be Aba South/Ukwa West vs Isikwuato/Obingwa

Other fixtures include

*Semifinals*

January 25, 2021

Winner Q1 v Winner Q2

January 26, 2021

Winner Q3 v Winner Q4

January 29, 2021

*Third place match*/ *Finals*

Hon. Mba who was a former Commissioner for Sports in the State disclosed that the essence of the under 21 grassroots competition is to discover and expose raw/young talented football teens to the rest of the world, leveraging on the opportunity provided by the competition that will be watched by local and international scouts.

Speaking on the choice for Umuahia Township Stadium for the entire games, Hon. Mba stated that it was a deliberate decision by the organizers to use a more centralized location and to reduce cost of logistics in moving members of the committee across the three Senatorial Districts in the state.

The chairman of the Governor’s Cup Committee who expressed his happiness on the progress made since the commencement of the competition, stated that they have been trying their best to ensure that incidence of age cheating among participants was reduced to the barest minimum.

While thanking the Governor of the state for the support he has given the committee so far, Hon. Mba expressed hope that the proposal sent to the Chief Executive of the state by the committee would receive his nods.

Also speaking the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Hon. Emeka Ikwuagwu who restated the state government’s commitment in promoting grassroots sports disclosed that as part of harnessing budding talents wasting on the streets by the state government, two promising football playing brothers; a goalkeeper and defender have been discovered.

The State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development who hinted that the state is in advance talk with a school outside Nigeria that has agreed to grant scholarship to some of the promising football players discovered during the just concluded Abia State School Sports.

He further disclosed that about 30 under 21 female footballers have been camping for several months, with the aim of registering the team to represent the state in upcoming competitions that they are eligible to participate in.