From ABBAS GUNGURA, Bauchi
MKYROC Football Academy, Wunti Bauchi, have lifted the trophy of the 2024 third edition of the annual Ramadan fasting football competition which kicked off on the first day of the commencement of fasting.
The competition was initially organized and sponsored by Coach Hafizu Barde in 2021 with 8 football teams drawn from Bauchi metropolis.
Sixteen teams featured in this year’s tourney, which was the third edition.
The final match, which kicked-off at 4 pm, was between Lion Zamad Kobi Football Club of Bauchi and MKYROC Academy Wunti Bauchi. It took place behind the Open Air Theater playground, along Chris Abutu Garuba Road Bauchi and saw the home team, Lion Zamad, taking the kick-off.
Both teams started like hungry lions but all efforts to register early goals proved abortive as several attempts by both sides missed their targets.
Fifteen minutes later MKYROC Academy took total control of the game, displaying soccer skills which demoralized Lion Zamad.
Twenty-five minutes into play, Abubakar Ibrahim Dune registered the opening goal for MKYROC Academy and the first stanza ended 0-1 in favour of the visiting MKYROC.
On resumption, Lion Zamad seemed to have been instructed not to allow the MKYROC Academy settle until they equalized. They aggressively penetrated the defence box of the Academy several times but to no avail.
Abubakar Dune of MKYROC increased the tally when he scored the second goal 78 minutes into play and sealed the fate of Lion Zamad when he registered the third goal in the 88th minute. The match ended 0-3 in favour of MKYROC Academy.
In an interview shortly after the presentation of the trophy to the winning team, the MKYROC FC Chief Coach, Musa Ali, expressed gratitude to God for giving his team the opportunity to win the competition.
He said, “From the pitch to the hearts of orphans our football club, named in honour of MKYROC Bauchi, lifted the Ramadan Cup trophy but the greatest achievement is to put smiles to the faces of our children, applauding their compassion and team work.”
