By Ikenna Nwokedi 

Metropolitan College Onitsha have emerged as the champions of the 2024 edition of the Dozek Inter School Football Championship being bankrolled by Chief Donatus Nzekwesi, MD/CEO of Dozek Group Realtors and an old boy of the Christ the King College (CKC) Onitsha.

In the grand finale of the competition played on Thursday, 23rd of May 2024 at the Washington Memorial Grammar School field Onitsha, Metropolitan College came from behind to defeat their opponents, Modebe Memorial Secondary School Onitsha by three goals to one in a pulsating encounter.

Modebe deservedly took the lead in the 35th minute through Ejimchukwu Onoima but saw their lead short-lived after Spencer Amechi restored parity in the 72nd minute of the game. Two goals within seven minutes towards the end of the game scored by Michael Chukwuchebe and Somtoo Madu was more than enough to hand the Metropolitan College boys the trophy and the star prize of N100,000 while Modebe settled for N50,000.

Earlier on, in the third and fourth place playoffs, Onitsha High School saw off Blessed Child School by two unreplied goals to settle for the bronze medal and the third prize of N30,000. In the individual awards, Metropolitan College Onitsha was adjudged the best behaved team, Ogoo Chidubem of Modebe Memorial Secondary School who scored a total of four goals took the double awards for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the competition and the Highest Goal Scorer (HGS).

The competition which is in its second edition was initiated by an Ex-Rangers player and former board member of the Anambra State Football Association (ANSFA) Emeka Ralph (Sarafi). 

According to the sponsor, the essence of bankrolling the competition is to give back to the society through engagement of students and schools in sports through the instrumentality of football. Chief Nzekwesi informed that the competition was birthed in the aftermath of the 2022 edition of Inter House Football competition of the CKC.

He also affirmed that the annual secondary school football fiesta seeks to promote the spirit of sportsmanship among students, discover and promote talents to the next level and create an opportunity for bigger challenge now and in the future.