The 14 housemates to compete for the ultimate prize in the 2009 MTN Soccer Academy show have been inducted into the Academy House in Accra. Last Saturday’s grand opening of the first Ghana/Nigeria collaboration of the soccer reality show, saw seven aspirants from each of the two famous West African countries enter the house.

Jamal Arago, Raphael Ocloo, Daniel Opare, Cayagu Williams, Hayford Nuako Manu, Frank Antwi and Philip Adu Poku for Ghana as well as Rafael Okaraofor, Obadan Anderson, Samuel Chibyzor, Ehrim Chigozie, Madukaji Godwillson, Ineh Pope and Hillary Okonkwo for Nigeria are the lucky 14 to make it from a final shortlist of 48 in both countries. Those 48 had come through stringent screening and selection processes that started with over 100,000 applications from interested persons, including even girls.

Now the teammates have entered the house to begin their three month stay, with fun and excitement galore promised during the course. The final 14 housemates will compete in front of an expanded TV audience as not only are Metro TV retaining their broadcast rights, the event will also be on show simultaneously in Nigeria on Africa Independent Television (AIT).

The weekly eviction shows will also receive added boost from patronage by Nigerian stars and music celebrities as well as their Ghanaian colleagues who have entertained the reality show’s past two editions. An expanded 5-a-side pitch and live candid camera segments will also give MTN Soccer Academy Three “fun, drama, high entertainment and that big brother feeling,” as Metro TV GCEO Tallal Fattal puts it.

MTN Soccer Academy anchor Eddy Blay, popularly called “The Executioner” because he usually delivers the news of the evicted housemate on eviction night, is still at his melodious best and ready to add some innovations to a show which has scored a lot of firsts this year.

According to the organizers (OMP), viewers, sponsors and fans can be assured of the teammates’ character, humility, and maintain the status quo that has been in existence since the inception of the reality show. They will also show a sense of unity among themselves and avoid fighting; quarrelling and such things that will make tempers flare in the house. Accordingly, it has been revealed that there can be no pretenders in the house because the Reality Show seeks to unearth people with genuine character who possess great soccer talents, prowess and have great ambitions in life.

The grand winner of the 2009 MTN Soccer Academy show will drive home the latest Hyundai Tuscon 4-wheel car whilst the first runner-up gets a Hyundai i10 saloon car. The winner will also pocket a cool ten thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢10,000) if he is Ghanaian or one million Naira if he is Nigerian. A 14 day trial with an international club also comes in handy with an assured one year contract with a local club in Ghana or Nigeria, yet another innovation to the widely acknowledged reality show.

A 5-star round all expenses paid trip to the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa is also promised the winner by Title Sponsors MTN. MTN which are also official sponsors of the first World Cup to take place in Africa have also promised the same first class package for the highest person to send texts to vote for contestants during the Academy Show’s 2009 duration. The texters’ competition, like that for the Soccer Academy title itself, is also expected to become keener in both Ghana and Nigeria.