Abuja Estates Football Championship To Revolutionise Grassroots Sports
By Salisu Muhammed, Abuja.
With the aim of taking estate sportsmanship to the mainstream, Abuja Estates Football Championship (AEFC) looks to revolutionise grassroots sports in Nigeria, hosting the nation’s first ever inter-estates sport competition.
A few days ago, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, made a persuasive call to state and local government leaders, sport business experts, NGOs, philanthropic individuals including ex-professionals to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s passion to revive and revamp a rich and robust sports market for our teeming youths, through grassroots sports development.
As sport remains the highest employer of labour, employing the largest amount of workforce amongst the largest demography of the largest nation in Africa, over seventy-five percent of over 220 million Nigerians.
A battle amongst 16 estates in the nation’s capital, FCT – Abuja, the AEFC is scheduled to kick off Saturday, 22nd February, with matches to be played every weekend across six weeks.
Beginning with groups, the 16 teams will be grouped into four (A, B, C and D), before the top two in each group play quarterfinals, then the semis, 3rd place and the grand finale on Sunday, 30th March, 2025. The FIFA Goal Project, Package B – MKO Abiola National Stadium is billed to host the matches
“We’ve been planning, we’ve been arranging about the Championship,” said CEO of AEFC, Sadeeq Mahmud.
“We know we’ve been through a lot; but, with the help of God and may the Almighty Allah continue to strengthen us to further far.”
Twelve teams have registered including Prime estate, Games Village estate, Prince and Princess estate, Sunnyvale estate, River Park estate, Federal Housing estate, City Gate estate, Peace estate Kubwa, Prince estate etc. Four more teams are expected to join.
Each team will consist of 22 players, totalling over 500 participants in the inaugural edition, as the champions will cart away with one million Naira, runners up to win three hundred thousand Naira, while 3rd get two hundred thousand Naira.
One hundred thousand Naira cash prize each for the MVP – Most Valuable Player; Golden Boot; Golden Glove; Players Playmaker and Coach of the Year. As well as the first eleven, made up of the best select in every position, also known as Abuja Estates FC.
“With the hopes of what we’re starting today – AEFC, this is really history-in-the-making,” said AEFC Technical Director, Sean Pablo.
“We can also one day be about the dream of the pioneers of something that could come up to be FIFA Estates World Cup”.
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