By Ezeocha Nzeh
The preliminary stage of the 2021 edition of the annual Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sponsored all Financial institutions games has been fixed to commence on Saturday in Lafia and Oshogbo, with 24 financial institutions set to lock horns
The tournament organizers also disclosed that Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital will host the semi finals, while the finals is scheduled to hold inside the UJ Esuene stadium in Calabar, Cross River state.
The nation’s apex bank organizers of the competition, stated further that the quarter final matches of the 24-team competition will also hold at the Lafia Township stadium been, as well as Osogbo stadium in Osun state.
Briefing newsmen on the schedule of the competition in Abuja, the Director, Corporate Communications Department of the CBN, Osita Nwanisobi, disclosed that ex a international, Friday Ekpo will grace this year’s finals as a Special Guest, adding that all the games will be played with strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols.
Nwanisobi also disclosed that the winners of this year’s competition will pocket the sum of N2,000,000, while the runners-up will receive N1,500,000. The second runners-up and the fourth-placed teams will each receive the sums of N1,000,000 and N500,000, respectively.
Speaking further, the CBN spokesman reiterated the Bank’s commitment to the promotion and development of sporting activities in Nigeria, through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) window. It will be recalled that the Central Bank of Nigeria Football Club (CBN FC) won the 2019 All Financial Institutions Football Club (AFIFC) competition, after showing there 1 -0 supremacy over Unity Bank Football Club at the Pa Ngele Oruta Stadium in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state
The competition, however, did not hold in 2020 due to the Corona Virus pandemic that ravaged the world, leading to the suspension of all sporting activities.
