By Ikenna Nwokedi
Metu Memorial All Stars FC of Onitsha will kickoff the defense of the 2025 Festdrine/ANSFA Anambra All Stars Football Competition against Evergreen All Stars FC of Awka on Sunday, 1st June, 2025 at the Awka City Stadium as the competition bankrolled by MANFES Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd gets underway.
The upcoming competition which was heralded with a colourful draw ceremony held on Tuesday, 27th May, 2025 at the Anambra State Football Association (ANSFA) Secretariat in Awka had the presence of officials from the twenty-seven (27) All Stars Football Clubs drawn into eight groups.
Defending Champions, Metu Memorial Old Boys of Onitsha were drawn in Group A against Evergreen All Stars of Awka, Cubana All Stars of Oba and Awka Capital Elites All Stars FC. 2023 champions, Anambra State All Stars FC were drawn in Group B alongside Estate All Stars of Fegge, Great United All Stars of Awka and Uncle Ralph FC All Stars FC of Mgbakwu.
In other groupings, Peace FC All Stars of Awka, Prime All Stars of Awka, Adazi All Stars and Awka All Stars will slug it out in Group C; Group D has Great Inland All Stars of Onitsha, Professionals All Stars of Awka and Obosi All Stars. Liberty All Stars of Atani were drawn in Group E against Unity All Stars of Ogbaru and Villa All Stars of Awka.
Group F will feature Fegge All Stars, Comprehensive Secondary School All Stars of Onitsha and Nimo All Stars; Group G has Nkpor Veterans All Stars, Okpoko All Stars and PJP All Stars of Awka while Group H has Nnewi All Stars, Puma All Stars Army Barracks of Onitsha and Nkutaku All Stars.
In his address, the sponsor, Mr. Festus Udungwu stated that the essence of bankrolling the competition is to promote the round leather game in the state and to ensure that football continues to grow at all levels of the game. Mr. Udungwu who was represented by veteran sports journalist, Mr. Obinna Ndema of Udala FM Onitsha revealed that the winner of this year's competition will smile home with the sum of 1.5 million naira while the first and second runners-up will take home the sum of N700 thousand and N500 thousand respectively with the sum of N50 thousand naira each mapped out for the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Highest Goal Scorer, Best Goalkeeper and Best Behaved Team.
He charged the participants to showcase the spirit of sportsmanship during the course of the game while calling on them to promote and tell the story of the efficacy of FESTDRINE which is a malaria prevention drug and promote MANFES Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee (MOC), Chief Victor Aniekwena who was represented by the ANSFA Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Chief Uzor Epundu disclosed that the MOC has done a thorough job in ensuring that participants are players who are 40 years and above, the football administrator affirmed that all rules of the game in line FIFA and IFAB will be applied in the course of the competition. Chief Epundu eulogized the sponsor for bankrolling the competition while admonishing the participating clubs to ensure they abide by the tenets of the game.
Also speaking, the first Vice-Chairman, Anambra State Referees Council, Engr. Festus Iloh and a member of the ANSFA board, Mrs Cordelia Akanna assured the teams of free and fair officiating during the course of the competition. They informed that officials who will officiate the matches are people of proven character and vastly experienced in the football industry.
On his part, the ANSFA Secretary, Mr. Ralph Nweke disclosed that the competition which will kick off on Sunday, 1st June, 2025 will be played on Saturdays and Sundays at Awka City Stadium with two teams qualifying from each group for the Round of 16 clash.
In their separate reactions, Nonso Adibe of Estate All Stars of Onitsha commended the ANSFA and the competition's MOC for a well organized draw ceremony as well as the benefactor for his magnanimity via sponsoring the competition while promising that his team will abide by the ethos guiding the conduct of the football programme. Re-echoing Adibe's view, Ikechukwu Onah of Evergreen All Stars and Evang. Obi Moneke, Chairman, Anambra State Football Coaches Association (ANSFOCA) averred that the competition is the right step in the right direction towards the growth and development of football in the state and beyond.
Highpoints of the occasion was the draw ceremony proper conducted by the ANSFA Secretary, Ralph Nweke, distribution of competition rules by the competition's MOC and apparels to the clubs from the sponsor. Also present during the draw ceremony were the Chief of Staff to ANSFA Chairman, Mr. Ifeanyi Ojukwu and other top football stakeholders in the state.
