23rd August, 2011
Members of the pen profession in Lagos State, also known as the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, will on Saturday, 3 September trade tackles with entertainment journalists in a novelty match at the mainbowl of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The football match, sponsored by Austin Izagbo is slated to kick off activities for the burial of the nation’s foremost music icon and Lady of Songs, Christy Essien-Igbokwe (MFR), who died on 30 June, in Lagos.
Chairman, Lagos SWAN, Fred Edore, has expressed confidence that his men will trounce the entertainment writers and as part of their strategy, the team will not name their captain until last minutes.
Responding to their opponent’s pre-match statements, Azuh Amatus, the Editor of Entertainment Express, who will captain the entertainment writers’ team, said SWAN have not named their squad because they are afraid of his team.
P.M.Sports gathered that after the match between Lagos SWAN and entertainment writers, the Actors Guild of Nigeria, AGN, will slug it out with their counterparts in the music industry for Godswill Akpabio Cup at the same venue.
Filing out on the side of the actors that day will be former AGN President, Ejike Asiegbu; Kanayo O. Kanayo, Fred Amata, Ramsey Noah, Nonso Diobi, Desmond Elliot,Yemi Blaq and Basorge Tariah Jr.
Also on the list are Charles Abazie, Rykardo Agbor, Femi Ogedengbe, Emeka Enyiocha, Charles Inojie, Ejike Metuselah, Frank Dallas, Famous Otakponwen and Don Pedro Obaseki. Segun Arinze will captain the team, while the Team Manager is Abubakar Yakubu.
However, the musicians, whose team list is yet to come out, have chosen dance hall crooner, Baba Dee, to lead them to victory.
P.M.Sports gathered that the teams have been training secretly as each is planning to outdo the other with a dazzling cheer leading ensemble.
Meanwhile, Rev. Richard Johnson Ekereke, representative of Akwa Ibom State Community (AKISOM), Lagos State, in the burial committee, has called on indigenes and friends of Akwa Ibom State from every part of Lagos and beyond to storm Teslim Balogun Stadium en masse on 3 September which has been named Akwa Ibom Day.
—Bimbo Ajayi