The Nyanya Ward football team has won N2m grand prize, after beating Wuse Ward on penalties to emerge champions in the 2024 edition of the Maikalangu Cup competition.
In the first half of the match held Sunday evening at Jikwoyi mini stadium in Abuja, Nyanya Ward opened the scoring, which was later equalised by Wuse Ward in the same first half.
The second half did not produce more goals, leading to the penalty shootout after stoppage time, which saw Nyanya Ward emerging champions.
Wuse Ward, which came second in the competition, won N1m, while Gui ward won N500,000 for third place position.
While handing over the prizes, the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, expressed gratitude for the success of the competition, applauding the participants’ peaceful conduct and commending the teams’ performances.
He congratulated Nyanya Ward on winning the tournament and celebrated Wuse Ward for their strong showing, saying all teams emerged as winners through their sportsmanship.
Maikalangu recognised the contributions of the AMAC youth, praising their respectful behaviour and underscoring the importance of peaceful participation, even as he lauded the organisers and players on sharing his vision of using sports to empower youth.
He pledged improvements in future events, hinting at increased financial and material support.
He called for more grassroots tournaments to identify local talents, saying talents should guide players’ success rather than connections.
He said: “I thank God for the smooth flow of today’s match, which was incident-free. To me, all teams are winners, and I congratulate Nyanya and Wuse Ward on this wonderful victory.
“This tournament brings our youth together, allowing them to showcase their talents. Our goal is to discover promising players, support their dreams, and transform their lives.
“Our focus isn’t solely on the prizes but on identifying talents we can support. These young players may one day support their families thanks to their achievements.
“Today, I saw young players who could excel at higher levels,” he noted, inspiring hope for a brighter future in Nigerian sports through community-driven initiatives.”
