Finidi, Amokachi, Others Dazzle In Imo, Sink Akagburuonye's Hope Rising Stars Team

Former player and coach of the Super Eagles, Finidi George and his fellow ex-team players, Samson Siasia, Daniel Amokachi, Mutiu Adepoju and others on Saturday dazzled football lovers in a novelty match against Hope Rising Stars football team in Ogbor Uvuru, in the Aboh Mbaise local government area of Imo State.

The match was played as part of activities marking the 60th birthday celebration of Imo State-born real estate mogul, Chief Success Akagburuonye, in Ogbor Uvuru, Aboh Mbaise council.

The match was played between the ex-internationals, captained by Chief Segun Odegbami against the old boys of the Uvuru Secondary School, the former classmates of Akagburuonye, the Hope Rising Stars football team.

The former Super Eagles superstar, Finidi George scored two, Daniel Amokachi scored one to make it three goals while the celebrant, Success Akagburuonye scored the only goal for the Hope Rising Stars football team.

Amokachi had scored the third goal of the match with a nice cross from Victor Ikpeba and good shot that left the goalkeeper helpless at the centre of the post.

The home team took the pressure to the legends afterwards and their effort paid off when the captain of the team, Success Akagburuonye snatched a loose ball from Moses Kpakpor inside the penalty box and shot to give his team the consolation goal.

An excited Akagburuonye said the match was a dream come true for him saying “I feel accomplished, it’s a dream come true , I’ve been aspiring to meet these people to bring them for my people to touch them with my pillar of support (referring to his wife) Ugwudi na Alaigbo, my dreams came through also, to score Ike Shorunmu at the post and I did today, right on the same pitch with them. It is a dream come true for me and my family”, he said.

Another team member of the Hope Rising, Chief Alex Ubaka Achebe, said he flew in from London because of the match and Akagburuonye. “I came in as a second half substitute, in football, man of the match is leadership, what he did in the field, not by how many touches or run ,so the man of the match for me is the celebrant, Chief Akagburuonye, first attempt and then the second attempt he scored”, he said.

Finidi who was the man of the match said, “It’s a novelty match and we enjoyed ourselves,we still have the knowledge but the fitness is not there, those qualities you will not loose them just fitness that goes away, if we get those opportunities again definitely we will score them again and again”.