Youth Talent Takes Centre Stage At Abia Soccer Fest Finals

The State Finals of the Abia Soccer Fest tournament have commenced, with matches taking place across three centres in Abia State.
In Umuahia, the opening fixture featured Isuikwuato against Arochukwu.

While carrying out the ceremonial kick-off at Ubakala Mini Stadium on Friday, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, urged the players to remain disciplined as they strive for victory.

Prince Nwachukwu stated that the Abia Soccer Fest was created to discover football talents at the grassroots level and bring out players from local communities.

“The essence of this entire competition is, first and foremost, to draw out talent from the various communities.

“And I am happy to say that some of the players I am seeing here, some of them are 17, 18, so we are happy that they are coming out,” Prince Nwachukwu stated.

He further revealed that 57 outstanding players were identified during the local government phase, adding that many of them are expected to remain in contention as the tournament progresses.

“We will pick up all these players and then have them compete amongst themselves so that they can have opportunities in bigger clubs and showcase their talents.

“So apart from drawing out the talent, we also want to use it as a bonding strategy for communities to interact through the medium of sports,” Nwachukwu stated.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwaobilor Ananaba, noted that the competition has already produced over fifty exceptional players and disclosed that international scouts would be invited for possible recruitment.

Nwaobilor encouraged the teams to adhere strictly to the rules, approach every game with seriousness, and remain hopeful of being selected alongside other discovered talents.
He also commended the State Governor, Alex Otti, for his consistent dedication to advancing sports development.

The Vice Chairman of the Abia State Soccer Fest Local Organising Committee, Captain Eric Asomugha, explained that the kick-off signals the beginning of the tournament’s second phase, which will see the 17 local government champions compete in four groups.

Captain Asomugha added that the initiative has provided youths with a platform to showcase their abilities globally and advised participants to maintain discipline throughout the competition.

According to him, “the whole idea of Abia Soccer Fest is for community engagement, youth empowerment, and talent hunt.

“We want to give opportunities to our great footballers who are in the grassroots.
“So, we’ve gone deep into the villages. And mind you, this competition is being played by 184 wards in the state from the 17 Local Government Areas.

“So, we have two phases. Phase 1, we played 166 matches across the 17 Local Government Areas. And today, we are kicking off the second phase, which we call the State Finals, where the 17 Local Government champions will be competing against each other for the state championship,” Asomugha explained.

In her remarks, the Secretary of the Local Organising Committee and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lady Oge Maduka, applauded Governor Alex Otti for his support toward youth development and urged all participating local governments to observe the rules of the game.

At the end of the encounter, Isuikwuato secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Arochukwu.