The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the Ebonyi Veterans Soccer Competition praised the game standard shown by the participating teams. The Nigeria News Agency (NAN) announced that the competition had two teams from each of the three senatorial areas of the state and that its players were over 40 years old.
The club president, Emmanuel Utobo, told NAN on Thursday that players had demonstrated a high level of technical and tactical knowledge of the game, unexpected for people their age.
“Fans can attest that this standard has eliminated the” novelty “label with which such competition is usually associated. We expected to see players go against the rules of the sport and stop the ball, for example, instead of hitting it
“Rather, we find encouraging levels of physical fitness, precise and incisive passes, and a consistent team game along with other positive attributes.” However, this can be attributed to the parade of former players by the teams, especially former players of the Ebonyi Angels (FC) club and football clubs throughout the country and abroad, “he said.
However, Utobo, who is the state’s sports director, expressed dissatisfaction with the weak behavior of some of the participating teams.
“We expected teams with a high level of maturity, even after relaxing the rules to reflect their behavior. But we are effectively managing the situation so that the competition ends successfully,” he said.
LOC Charmian reported that team “A” in the central area of Ebonyi had behaved in such an unpleasant manner that he did not appear to be the best decision maker against team “A” of Ebonyi. South.
“The goal of the game was to determine the best loser of the competition that could join the three teams that already qualified for the semifinals.” However, Ebonyi’s central team “A” could not run after officials had waited “gently” for about an hour and a half instead of the scheduled 30 minutes, “he said.
He announced that the semifinals originally scheduled for Sunday December 8 had been postponed due to a religious program held that day at the Pa Ngele Oruta stadium in Abakaliki. “A new date for the semifinals will be announced and the interested teams will be duly notified,” he said.
He recalled that while NetBet Nigeria fans where spectating, the Annual Under-17 Governors Cup under 17 years scheduled for 2011 in the 13 areas of the state’s local government was postponed until January 2020. Sports Commissioner Charles Akpuenuka, who announced the change in a statement Thursday at Abakaliki, said the decision was approved at the State Executive Council meeting on October 25.
He added that the report was intended to allow local authorities to make arrangements to mobilize their youth so that they can participate fully in the annual football festival.
“This is to inform the general public that the State Executive Council, at its October 25 meeting, approved the postponement of the Governor’s Under-17 Cup soccer competition this year until January 2020.
“As a result, the leaders of the 13 regions of the local Ebonyi government are aware of this development to enable them to prepare now by recruiting and training their best players,” he said.
He said the main objective of the competition by age group was to select the best budding talent in the state to join the proposed soccer team.
Akpuenuka, who said the local government region of southern Afikpo was the defending champion, added that the competition was aimed at promoting unity among all areas of local government.
The commissioner said the government is committed to deepening the development of sport in Ebonyi, adding that greater priority will be given to the mobilization of potential sports talent in the state.
