BY SAB OSUJI

No fewer than nine other teams have tightly screwed their heads onto their necks in readiness for a stiff battle to dethrone Ozalla Football Academy as the defending champions of the Neros Pharmaceuticals/Anambra FA Cup, Exclusivenews.com.ng reports.

With a total of ten clubs duly registered for this year's edition of the competition, title holders, Ozalla, are expected to begin their title defence from the quarter finals after they were handed a bye during the draws held at the Anambra FA Head Office, Udoka Housing Estate, Awka, on Thursday.

Neros/Anambra FA Cup carries the richest winning prize in the country with the winner receiving a huge N2m while runners-up collecting N1m just as the third placed team and fourth placed team smiling home with N500, 000 and N100, 000 respectively.

Incredibly, the sponsor, Neros Pharmaceuticals Limited, has bankrolled the championship for 20-consecutive years now, the longest tournament sponsor in the country.

Four out of the ten teams, were seeded because of their league status. The seeded teams include defending Champions, Ozalla FA who plays in the NLO, last year's runners-up  Edel FC who are playing in the NNL, Solution FC also campaigning in the second tier league and Peace FC runners-up two seasons ago and NLO campaigners in their own right. 

Bishop Owen Nwokolo Football Academy, BONFA, will take on Young Africans in one of the opening matches on Thursday, 15 March, 2024 for a place in the quarterfinals.

The winner of the tie will set up a quarter final clash against holders, Ozalla FA.

The second match of the day will involve Remmy Uche against African Oh for the right to take on Peace FC in the quarterfinals.

Other confirmed quarterfinal fixtures include Black Smithers against Solution FC and Hopeland FC vs Edel FC.

Professor Poly Emenike, Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Neros Pharmaceuticals Limited, represented by Sir Victor Nwangwu thanked the registered teams for their perseverance especially in this moment of serious economic hardship in the country. 

He reiterated the sponsors readiness in investing in youth development through football. 

Nwangwu, a former Anambra FA secretary registered his dissatisfaction with the low number of teams that registered for the competition this year and called on the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to make the Federation Cup 'pocket friendly' especially for grassroot teams. 

Chikelue Iloenyosi, Chairman, Anambra FA, who was represented by the Secretary, Ralph Nweke, who conducted the draws, appreciated the sponsors of the competition for yet another 'show of faith' in football development in the state. 

He equally thanked the registered clubs for coming and emphasized the need for sporting fairness and  encouraged all the clubs to play by the rules.

'Gen' Iloenyosi outlined the FA's readiness to conduct a free and fair competition where the best will emerge and represent the state well at the National level.

A former Nigeria junior International goalkeeper and Team Manager of Edel FC, Fancy Ewulu, on behalf of the registered teams, thanked the sponsor and the organisers, Anambra State Football Association, for the opportunity for the registered teams to compete. 

He pledged on behalf of the 10 participating teams that the competition will be an extraordinarily successful one.