Eleven teams will battle for the N1 million prize money at stake in the maiden edition of the Ezeukwu Football Tournament scheduled to kickoff on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
The tournament, which will hold at the football pitch of Central School Chokoneze, is sponsored by OfftheHook Foundation for Rural Dwellers, to commemorate the 10th anniversary coronation of HRH Eze Mike Nwamara, the Ezeukwu II of Umueze, Chokoneze autonomous community.
According to the organisers of the tournament, the competition will be flagged off with a novelty match between Umueze and Umuchoko, the twin towns that make up the ancient Chokoneze Kingdom, on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at the Central School Chokoneze football pitch, at 3pm.
In the draws announced by the organisers, Emedike village will slug it out with Umunakukwu village in the opening fixture on December 18, 2024, at 3pm prompt, while Umunakwata and Umuoghuru trade tackles in the second fixture billed for Thursday, December 19, 2024.
In the other fixtures, Umumbara will take on Umuola, Egbelu-Okpurulo will battle Umuajala, Umumbozo will square up against Egbelu-Eluama, while Ndiuhu, who are drawn by, will test their might against the best losers in the preliminary stage. Winners of the first and second fixtures will clash in the next round; winner of the third game takes on the winner of the fourth match while the winners of the fifth and sixth fixture will slug it out to decide which teams progress to the semifinals before the final.
The winner of the final match billed for Saturday, January 4, 2024 will go home with the sum of N350, 000.00 and a trophy. The runner up will get N200, 000.00, while the third best team will pocket N150, 000.00.
The climax of the 10th coronation anniversary of HRH Eze Mike Nwamara will be a special thanksgiving church service on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Chokoneze in Ezinihitte Local Government Area Mbaise, Imo State, at 9am. This will be followed by the conferment of chieftaincy titles on some deserving individuals by Eze Nwamara at his Palace, after which guests will be treated to lavish entertainments.