The State Finals of the Abia Soccer Fest have commenced, with matches taking place across three centres in Abia State, marking the second phase of the tournament aimed at discovering grassroots football talent.
Performing the ceremonial kick-off, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, urged participating teams to uphold discipline and strive for victory.
The Commissioner reiterated that the Abia Soccer Fest was conceived to identify and nurture football talents at the grassroots level, adding that the initiative had already yielded promising results.
According to Prince Nwachukwu , 57 standout players were identified during the local government stage of the competition.
“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.
“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”, he added.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sir Nwaobilor Ananaba, disclosed that the competition had so far produced over fifty talented players and revealed plans to invite international scouts for possible selection.
Sir Ananaba advised participants to adhere strictly to the rules and remain focused, expressing optimism that exceptional performers would be discovered and nurtured further and commended Governor Alex Otti for his continued commitment to sports development in the state.
Providing further insight into the tournament, the Vice Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Captain Eric Asomugha, explained that the State Finals represent the second phase of the competition, involving champions from the 17 local government areas, grouped into four pools.
He noted that the tournament has provided a valuable platform for youth engagement and talent exposure.
“The whole idea of Abia Soccer Fest is for community engagement, youth empowerment, and talent hunt.
“We want to give opportunity 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 champion”, Captain Asomugha explained.
In her remarks, the Secretary of the Local Organising Committee and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lady Oge Maduka, lauded Governor Otti for his support for youth development and urged all teams to play in accordance with the rules.
At the end of the opening match, Isuikwuato secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Umunneochi, setting the tone for a competitive and talent-rich tournament.
