By Ikenna Nwokedi
Student’s Union branch has emerged the winner of the 2024/25 edition of the Nanka Champions League after defeating Bayelsa branch by a lone goal in the grand finale played on Wednesday, 1st January 2025 at the Neros Stadium Nanka, Anambra State.
Super sub, Obinna Ozue came off the bench to seal the win for the Student’s branch in the 76th minute of the pulsating encounter.
The win ended an 18-year period of not winning the trophy for the Student’s Union branch after they last won it in 2006. Earlier on, Ota branch won 5-4 on penalties to leapfrog Nkpor branch for the third position in the third/fourth placed playoffs after the game ended one apiece at the end of regulation time.
In the individual awards, Chisom Eze of Students’ Union branch emerged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Oscar Eze of Nkpor branch who scored a total of 7 goals in the competition clinched the Highest Goal Scorer award of the competition while Moses Onyekwelu of Student’s Union branch was voted the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament.
The sponsor, Prof. Poly Emenike congratulated the winners for emerging tops at the end of the competition, he also commended the organizing committee for planning and ensuring a hitch free competition.
On his part, the Chairman of Orumba North LGA, Hon. Casmir Chinonso Nwafor eulogized Prof. Polycarp Emenike for putting Nanka and Anambra on the map of football by sponsoring the competition for over 40 years till this moment.
Hon. Nwafor affirmed that the Nanka Champions League has produced a player who played for the men’s National Team, the Super Eagles as well as a host of players who are playing in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). He called on other well meaning individuals of the state to replicate this in their communities so as to have a lot of football players springing up for the top leagues in Nigeria and the national teams.
The winner of the Nanka Champions League will take home the sum of 1.5 million naira, second placed team goes home with the sum 1.2 million naira while the third placed team settles for the sum of 900 thousand naira.
As part of the events for the 2024/25 edition of the Nanka Champions League, Nanka All Stars on Tuesday, 31st December 2024 played Ex-Rangers Stars which ended in a one all draw.
