By Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
Popular Ebonyi comedian, Friday Nwifuru, popularly known as “I Go Yan,” has unveiled plans to sustain a female football competition aimed at discovering and grooming young talents to represent Ebonyi State and Nigeria.
Nwifuru disclosed this during the maiden Izzi Female Football Competition organised as part of activities marking the 2026 Ojiji Festival.
The competition brought together female football teams from the Izzi extraction, comprising Abakaliki, Ebonyi and Izzi Local Government Areas, with Lucky Star emerging champions after defeating Sunshine 3-0.
Explaining his motivation, Nwifuru said he organised the competition to promote female inclusion and give women a greater sense of belonging, particularly because of their significant participation in elections and community development.
“For the fact that during electioneering period women are more voters than men, I decided to favour them by organising a female football competition of the Izzi extraction,” he said.
He said the competition would be organised periodically to identify outstanding players and create a pathway for them to represent Ebonyi State and Nigeria.
“I have plans for all of them. I will be organising these competitions from time to time, and from there we are going to select people that will represent Ebonyi and Nigeria at large,” Nwifuru stated.
The comedian also commended Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for what he described as his administration’s commitment to female inclusion, citing the appointment of women into various leadership positions across the state.
Nwifuru said the initiative was also his way of supporting young people, adding that he had always wanted to use available opportunities to help people who could make a difference in society.
He disclosed that the competition featured cash prizes of ₦300,000 for the winners, ₦200,000 for the runners-up and ₦150,000 for the third-placed team, alongside individual awards for outstanding players.
A former Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health and Izzi stakeholder, Dr. Sunday Nwangele, commended the initiative and urged Nwifuru to collaborate with the Izzi Football Association to sustain the competition.
Also speaking, the President-General of Ikwo Noyo Youth Consultative Forum, Dr. Oyechi Nwankwo, described the competition as a novel initiative capable of producing future football stars for Ebonyi.
Other dignitaries at the event included Hon. Queen Ajali and Nollywood actors Chidebere Ikechukwu, Queen Hilbert, among other stakeholders in the entertainment industry.