The Nigeria walking football team, will today, embark on a two-day playing tour of Kigali, Rwanda, as part of their preparations for next year’s Walking Football Nations Cup to be held in Manchester, England.
Walking football is reportedly a slower paced version of the beautiful game and it was originally designed to help get over 50s back into football and increase physical activity through rekindling players’ love for the game.
Now in its formative years in Nigeria, the walking football team will be accompanied on the tour by interim chairman of Waka Football in Nigeria, Godson Uti, while chairman of Imo State Football Association and presidential candidate in the forthcoming 2022 NFF Elections, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam, is expected to captain the team for the international friendlies.
“Nigeria and Rwanda are two of the African countries that will feature at the Walking Football Nations Cup in Manchester in the summer of 2023,”
Uchegbulam said.
“Of course, the team is made up of old football enthusiasts and former players, but we are not taking anything to chance, as we are preparing well for the Nations Cup and going to Rwanda would show our readiness for the assignment.”
Under the auspices of the Federation of International Walking Football Associations (FIWFA), there will be a maximum of 32 teams across two age groups of over 50s and over 60s for the delayed Walking Football World Nations Cup in Manchester, which was to be held in 2020, but shifted to the summer of 2023.
Apart from Nigeria and Rwanda, five other African national teams, including Zambia, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Morocco, have confirmed their participation at the Manchester 2023 Walking Football World Nations Cup.(The Guardian)
•PHOTO: Nigeria’s walking football team
