By Ikenna Nwokedi 

Okwenu All Stars have emerged as Champions of the maiden edition of the Budweiser/KM Lubricants All Stars Football Championship.

In the finals of the competition played at the FC Ifeanyi Ubah International Stadium Ozubulu-Nnewi on Sunday, 3rd December 2023, Okwenu All Stars saw off Juventus FC All Stars by a lone goal scored in the 68th minute of the game through Chidiebere Augustine Ozoemena to claim the star prize of one million naira. 

Juventus FC settled for 500 thousand naira while Torwaleen FC Stars who defeated SSK FC All Stars 5-4 on penalties after playing out a one all draw during regulation time in the third and fourth place playoffs settled for 300 thousand naira while the sum of 200 thousand naira went to SSK FC 

The competition which started in October 2023 had a total of thirteen teams comprising of Team One FC, Elders FC, Juventus FC, SSK FC, Anaedo Bigger Boys FC, Gideonites FC, All Stars FC, Peace FC, One with God FC, Okwenu FC, Torwaleen Table Waters FC, Maria Regina Sports Club Nnewi and Umuejis FC.

Reacting after the finals, the sponsor of the competition and CEO KM Lubricants, Chief Kenneth Maduakor expressed his delight that the well organized competition came to a crescendo peacefully while congratulating Okwenu All Stars FC for emerging the champions of the maiden edition.

"Am delighted with the outcome of the competition which ended on a very good note as we experienced good football for about two months. The competition is well organized and I am happy and fulfilled with the outcome.

"We have seen some lapses in the course of the competition but I can assure you that in subsequent editions those challenges would be solved to make the competition better. Initially, we experienced a bit of aparthy from some clubs who showed some doubt which was why some registered late but over and above that you could see that we had a good turn out and we had a great competition," Maduakor said.

Chief Maduakor informed that the Budweiser/KM Lubricants All Stars Football Championship has come to stay and will be much bigger come the 2024 edition. He eulogized the Local Organizing Committee headed by Jonathan Igwe and Nnaemeka Iloka for ensuring the tenets of the beautiful game of football was maintained before, during and after the competition.