Fourteen teams will compete in the second edition of the Imo State Football Association Veterans Football Competition, which kicks off on August 10, 2024, at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.
The competition's second year will begin with a seminar to educate veteran players and officials about their expected roles, the rules and regulations, and the opportunities available through the competition for retired footballers.
The event, initiated by the Ifeanyi Dike-led Imo State FA, aims to promote wellness and provide networking opportunities for ex-players and their fans, who may not have heard much about them since their retirement.
The competition will start with an exciting match between Uzie Abosi All Stars and Fit Friends All Stars at the practice pitch of Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.
According to the organizers, the event will also feature the presence of two former African Footballers of the Year, Coach Emmanuel Amuneke and Ambassador Kanu Nwankwo, along with other invited guests at the iconic ground. This stadium hosted the last continental football final in the country in 2009 when Iwuanyawu Nationale played TP Mazembe of Congo in the first leg of the CAF Champions League, with some of the players involved also attending.
The seminar, originally scheduled for August 1, was postponed due to the ongoing nationwide hunger protest and will now take place on August 4 at the Imo State Football Association office, Owerri.
According to Casmir Mbachu, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, this year's edition was supposed to follow a home-and-away format but was canceled due to various economic challenges facing the country.
Meanwhile, Neville Okere, Secretary of the Organizing Committee, thanked the teams that registered for the competition and assured them of smooth organization for this year's event.
It should be noted that Dinamo Dinamic are the defending champions of the inaugural Imo State Football Association Veterans Cup. The defending champions, who were the first to register for this year's competition, are confident in their ability to defend the trophy they won last year.
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