Nigeria: Abia Intensifies Quest to Discover More Kanu, Chukwueze, Others

21 August 2025
This Day (Lagos)
By Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

With the conclusion of the zonal draws, Abia State has set its eyes on discovering of football talents that would follow the footsteps of Nigeria's football legend, Nwankwo Kanu and AC Milan forward, Samuel Chukwueze.

The hidden talents are expected to emerge at the maiden edition of Abia's grassroots football league themed "from grassroots to greatness", which kicks off on Saturday, August 23, 2025.

Christened Abia Soccer Fest(ASF), the football tournament would run from the 184 state wards and progress to the local government level. The tournament is to be concluded with the state final where the overall champion would be crowned.

Speaking with journalists in Umuahia after conducting the draw for Abia Central, the Vice-chairman of the Local Organising Committee(LOC) of ASF, Ambassador Eric Asomugha, said that arrangements were ready for a successful tournament.

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He said that Abia has produced international stars in football like Nwankwo Kanu and Samuel Chukwueze, and more of such talents still abound in the state and only needs to be discovered.

"We want to discover talents, and create employment. We want to discover more Nwankwo Kanu and Samuel Chukwueze," he said.

Asomugha stressed the need for stakeholders to assist in sponsoring teams participating at all levels of the tournament to ensure full representation of all the wards and LGs.

To make the quest of discovering future football stars fruitfully, Asomugha said that both local and international football scouts would be in Abia to identify and catch the hidden stars young.

He said that the State Governor, Alex Otti was making it possible for youths to discover their talents not only in football but in other areas of sports by sponsoring various tournaments.

Asomugha, who heads the technical arm of the LOC, said that Abia Soccer Fest was jointly put together by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

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