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As part of the activities marking the 2025 international Women’s Day celebration ,Office of the Wife of Enugu state Governor , Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah in collaboration with the ministry of Children,Gender Affairs and Social Development, Friday , organised a novelty football march. ,played between Enugu state female political Appointees and Wives of Local Government Chairmen .
In the march played at the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium , Enugu and witnessed by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, Female political Appointees defeated Local Government chairmen ‘s wives by 5 goals to 3.
Pix: Political Appointees in Ash and black jersey, Wives of Local Government chairmen in Red Jersey
The match which was also witnessed by the Chairman of Rangers International Football club, Amobi, and some officials of the club, kicked -off at about 5:10 pm. Both sides scored 1-1 in first half with the goal scorers from each side, scoring with hands(throwing the ball inside the net)
In second half, they played 2-2 and concluded with penalty kicks in which Appointees scored 3 goals while the Local chairmen”s wives scored 1 goal, bringing the total goals scored to 5-3
In an interview after the match, the Commissioner For Children, Gender Affairs And Social Development Mrs Ngozi Enih said the novelty match was organised to bring the women together to socialize.
Also speaking the wife of ALGON chairman Mrs Phina Edeh commended the first lady for the privilege given to them to participate. She encouraged women to always stand out for each other
Earlier,, Rangers Int’l Football club chairman Amobi addressed the women. He told them that the novelty was not only for them to exercise and be physically fit but for them to strengthen friendship. He wished all women “a happy international women’s Day.”
The striking and very funny thing about the novelty was that spectators did not know what to tag it. It was not 5-Aside, it was not 11- Aside The Political Appointees played 12 against 8, when it was observed at some point, they withdraw three players from their side and one from the Wives of the Local Government Chairmen, making it 9 players from Appointees side against 7 players from the Chairmen’s side.They justified the unequal composition, saying, one good player in Wives of the Local Chairmen’s team was equal five players from their side.
The Referee officiated well. There was no yellow card, no red card. It was indeed fun.
Some of the players on the political Appointees side were Commissioner for Children Gender Affairs and Social studies, Mrs Ngozi Enih, SSA Adenike, SSA Sandra Gorge from SSGs office, Anne and Egodi Ijeamaka Igwe from ,first Lady’s office, among others. From Local Government Chairmen’s wives ,were Mrs Phina Edeh, ALGON Chairman’s wife, Mrs Beloved Dan Anike among others.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama