With the massive follwership, dominant social media presence, lucrative endorsement and contract deals in the world of football, the round-leather game has indeed proven to be the most popular sport on planet earth, and so the Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2022 Coal City Football League, Donben Chisom has opened up concerning the third edition of the competition, stating that it would be competitive and exciting because of the quality of the participating teams.

He made this disclosure yesterday after the first play-off of the competition tagged “Boolu Ogbe” between Team Nsukka and Maryland stagged at the Ngwo Park football field, Uwani.

Speaking to newsmen who monitored proceedings of the event, he revealed that the decision by committee to kick-start the competition with the play-offs was to give teams from different parts of the state the opportunity to secure qualification into the event proper, adding that the eight winners from the eight play-offs will join the eight seeded teams for the main event.

Chisom who is also a nollywood movie executive further explained that the seeded teams are the quarterfinal list from the last edition of the competition and they are: Achara Layout, Ngwo, Abakpa, Emene, Gariki, Uwani, Coal camp and Agbani road, noting that the sixteen teams would be drawn into four groups of (A – B).

Responding to how satisfied he is with the outcome of game, an excited Obasi Chika, Coach of Team Nsukka, praised the resilience and doggedness of his side for the qualification, promising that they will work on their lapses.

However, the competition which is sponsored by a betting company and proudly supported by Enugu State government, Coalcity witnessed a seven-goal thriller in the opening event as Team Nsukka edge pass Maryland 4-3 while Trans-Ekuku and Udi will lock horns for a spot on August 19 in the same venue.