Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri
The Moduganari Primary and Junior Secondary School (MPJS) football team has won the Boko Haram ‘resilience match’ in Borno state.
The Northern Giants team, defeated the Gwange Primary and Junior Secondary School (GPJS), aka Resilient Lions, 4-0, yesterday (Tuesday), in Maiduguri, at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) stadium.
The 30-minute Resilience Football Match (RFH) was organised by the Gold Prime Organisation and UNICEF to mark 2022 World Children’s Day in the Northeast.
The 13-Boko Haram insurgency has killed about 40, 000 people with the destruction of property worth $9.2 billion (N4.1 trillion) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
The match commences at 4.09pm between the lions and giants with the Moduganari players processing the ball to fire the first target shot, but the goalkeeper of the lions saved it.
The domination of the Moduganari players along with marksmanship led to the scoring of the first goal in the 7th minute of play by number 4 jersey.
“With the control and sustained processing of football in each of the 15 minutes of play made the Northern Giants to score the second goal,” said Daniel Usman, who officiated the resilience match.
He said that the second goal to the Giants was scored in the 14th dying minutes of the first half of play.
He added that; “The third and fourth goals were scored by the number 5 and 10 players in the first and second minutes of play in the second half of game,” declaring that Moduganari team has won the resilience football match with 4-0 over its opponent.
On the weaknesses of the Gwange players, he said that they lacked the marksmanship of Moduganari players, while they are “slow and unable to swiftly pass the ball to score from the 18-yead box.
“The Moduganari children continue to remain the Northern Giants, despite the over a decade insurgency that claimed many lives and property.
According to him, the 30 minutes of play was reached for the resilience match, because the children could not withstand the 90-minute standard of play on a regular football field.
“We adopted the mini football pitch with five players each from the two teams to mark children’s day,” he said, adding that this was despite their massive displacements along with their parents during the over a decade insurgency.
While congratulating the players, Clement Adams of UNICEF, presented the two trophies and 10 medals to the Moduganari and Gwange players.
In her brief remarks, the wife of the Governor, Dr. Falmata Babagana Zulum said that the resilient football match exhibits the best children’s skills and abilities.
Falmata, represented by the Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, said: “This will avail them the best opportunities of education and skills to secure a better future,” she said.
She noted that the resilience football match could exhibit the spirit of love, peace and competitiveness among the children in the state.
She, therefore, urged them to take their education with seriousness and respect to constituted authorities and parents to secure their future.
End.
