Ogugu Community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State has concluded plans for a football tournament to unite its seven villages.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, on the preparation for the game, the sponsor, Chief Aloysius Ogbonna Jnr. aka ‘Ikemba Enugu’, said the tournament will kick start on December 25, 2021 at Ogugu Central School Field, Awgu and will be played till January 2, 2022.
Ogbonna said that all the seven villages in the Ogugu community – Ezioha Ogbodu, Ezioha, Uhuahu, Uhuagbo, Ibite, Ugwuoma and Uhuokpo were expected to full participate in the tournament.
On what he wants to achieve with the football tournament, he said that because of the importance the youths attached to football “I decided to explore football to galvanise our youths for peace building among the villages in Ogugu and beyond.”
“So, we want to use football as a platform to bring peace, unity and progress among our villages and also for our youths to use it discover their talents in football.
“Apart from entertaining and making our people happy during this Festive period, I have plans to mentor the best players so that their talent won’t end in the village.”
Ogbonna also said that the tournament is about age long tradition of the ‘Anukaenyi festival’ which according to him is done every three years. “During this festival each village visits each other. While age grades performs their traditional rights and also know each other.”
Tagged “Ogugu Ntuegbenese Anukaenyi Unity Cup 2021/2022, Celebration of Ogugu Football Legends Awards”, Ogbonna disclosed that the winner of the tournament will go home with N1 million cash price, while the 2nd and 3rd positions would go home with N300,000 and N200,000 respectively.
According to him, highest goal scorer, best player, best defender and best goal keeper will get N20,000 each, while the best Coach will receive N30,000. Also each participating village will go home with N50,000.
