Bolgatanga Senior High School’s Daniel Azuberi on Saturday night March 9 emerged as the ultimate winner of this year’s MTN Soccer Academy 6 Skuulz Challenge in one of the most spectacular grand finale events in the history of Ghana’s most famous soccer reality show.

It was all smiles and tears for the sixteen year old who was evidently immensely overwhelmed when he was finally adjudged as this season’s champion of the annual television reality show. Azuberi has by this feat, thus, also engraved his footprints in the coveted Soccer Academy Hall of Fame, following in the footsteps of five previous winners of the Reality Show.

For his prize, the midfielder took home an enviable brand new Hyundai Accent saloon car from Auto Plaza. The 16 year old will as part of the prize package, go on a training tour at Edukick- Manchester City in the United Kingdom. Azuberi’s school, Bolgatanga Senior High School, also received a brand new Hyundai *i10 *from* *Auto Plaza.

The first and second runners-up were Stephen Essau of Sekondi College and Abou Bawa of Wa Senior High School respectively. Essau received a brand new Hyundai *i10* saloon car whilst Bawa also received a trophy.

The Top Goal Scorer award went to Daniel Azubire, with Abou Bawa and Franklin Asante of St Thomas Aquinas Senior High School clinching the Best Goal and Most Disciplined Player awards respectively. All fourteen team mates also received medals of participation.

Present at the ceremony was the Minister of Youth & Sports, Hon. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah who was full of praise for the organizers of the show, Optimum Media Prime (OMP) and its title sponsor, MTN, for putting together what he described as “a worthy initiative to promote the merging of sports and education” in the country. He implored other corporate institutions and individuals to emulate this example in partnering the government to develop the country’s sports industry to the highest level.

Also present at the ceremony was Mr. Talal Fattal, CEO of Metro TV, Mr. Franklin Sowah of MTN Ghana, as well as the Managing Director of Auto Plaza Limited, Mr. Jihad and other dignitaries who all graced the occasion with their presence.

In his speech, Mr. Fattal, who is also the Chairman of the Global Village Group, re-affirmed his Group’s commitment to complementing government’s efforts at developing sports in the country with the introduction of similar initiatives such as the Skuulz Challenge concept of the Soccer Academy Reality Show.

“I want to assure the Honourable Minister and all of us gathered here tonight that we will not relent on our drive to continue promoting and growing our sports industry until it becomes the best,” Mr. Fattal noted.

In a short but inspiring address, Mr. Franklin Sowah of MTN Ghana Limited also re-iterated MTN’s pledge to continually inspire the ‘can-do’ spirit in the youth, and stated that their association with the Soccer Academy concept throughout the six years of its existence was ample evidence of this fact.

Explaining why Auto Plaza has been a strong partner of the Soccer Academy Show right from its inception till date, Mr. Jihad underscored the importance that his outfit attaches to the development of the youth because “from little acorns the mighty oak tree grows”. He thus, encouraged the youth not to despise small beginnings, but rather always look at the bright side of life.

The night also saw splendid musical performances by some of Ghana’s hip life icons including 4×4, Chemphe, Kaakie and Dobble & Slim.

The *Skuulz Challenge* concept is a special edition of the Soccer Academy Reality Show which was aimed at discovering the many young football talents in the country’s educational institutions and grooming them into marketable and competitive soccer brands.

The MTN Soccer Academy 6 Skuulz Challenge is an innovation of Optimum Media Prime, a member of the Global Village Group and proudly sponsored by MTN.