Accra , Nov 21, GNA - The Chief
Executive Officer of Metropolitan Television, (Metro TV) Mr Talal Fatal has
said the 5th Edition of the MTN Football Academy soccer fiesta will
be exceptional due to the vigorous selection process adopted by the organizers.
Speaking at the induction ceremony
of 14 housemates who were selected for the football reality show, Fattal said
the event will be an improvement over the previous ones because they have
selected the best crop of players for the exercise and was confident the
quality will be an addition to the show.
Mr Fatal added that the organizers,
Optimum Media Prime (OMP) have also outlined attractive prizes for the winners
and was convinced it will motivate the players to give off their best during
the battle for the ultimate prize.
Mr Thomas Sowah of OMP Marketing
Department noted that, “Football can be a catalyst for the transformation
of a whole community and it is for this reason that OMP has taken upon itself
the initiative to provide the platform for the total grooming and
development of such budding talents.
“What we are witnessing today is
ample testimony of the commitment of OMP and our partners such as MTN, Auto
Plaza, the sole agents of Hyundai vehicles in Ghana, and other
stakeholders, towards the development of our youth through the power of sports,
particularly football,” he added.
Nii Nortey Dua, Deputy Minister of
Youth and Sports commended the organizers of the 'Soccer Realty Show', Optimum
Media Prime(OMP), Metro TV and the title sponsor MTN for the concept and
charged the contestants to use the opportunity to showcase their potentials and
talents.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy
Minister for Information also commended the organizers of the only football
reality show in the country, saying “We know what football means to us as
a country, government will therefore ensure that it supports such brilliant
initiatives to produce more talents.”
Each of the team mates were guided
by newly recruited technical brains of David Duncan and Augustine Arhinful to
append their signatures to documents and picked their respective jersey
numbers.
Gabriel Darko from the Central
Region who arrived first was followed by Ephraim K Lumor, Greater Accra,
Abubakar Saddiq and Joseph Adams from Central Region, Joseph Adams, Central
Region, Dennis Ofori from Greater Accra, Abdul Karim and Manfred Smith
Osei from the Eastern Region completed the first batch of entrants.
The rest of the house mates were
Samuel Somuah and Godwin Gakpo from the Volta Region, Kwaku Frimpong Boafo from
Greater Accra, Kenneth Ackah -Ashanti Region, Kobinah Essien -Central Region,
Hoffman Maselino and Bernard Gyimah also from Greater Accra Region to complete
the second batch of players for the show.
At stake will be a 4x4 and Hyundai
i10 cars, 10,000 Cedis as well as a 14-day Summer Camp with English giants
Liverpool and Chelsea.