THE players, technical crew and management of Nigeria Professional League side, Akwa United FC of Uyo have decided to seek the face of God for strength and success ahead of the 2016/2017 NPFL season.
The entire club went down in supplication and thanksgiving at the Apostolic Church, Ibiakpan in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, on Sunday to begin the new year.
Chairman of the Promise Keepers, Mr Paul Bassey, led the management and players of the team to the thanksgiving service which was also attended by the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Sir Monday Ebong Ukoh, the Director of Sports, coach Aniedi Dickson, as well as the Deputy Director in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, coach Lawrence Iquaibom.
Ukoh, who restated the state government’s commitment to the development of sports as a vehicle for youth empowerment, urged the church and Christian community in the state to continue to pray for the success of Akwa United Football Club while he also thanked the players and management of the club for committing the new football league season to God.
“I am impressed with the way Akwa United is beginning the New Year in the presence of God. They could have chosen to begin the year elsewhere with merriment but they decided to start the new season with God and I am sure that the Lord will answer our prayers and grant us His blessings this season,” Ukoh said as he announced a donation of N1m to the church.
Disclosing that Akwa United was the only club in the country that is not owing its players and officials any outstanding entitlement at the end of last season, Bassey explained that the decision to commit the club to God was as a result of the many blessings and protection God granted them last season.
The veteran journalist thanked God for the 2015/2016 season which he said was an injury free season for the players of the club, noting that injury to any player can affect the progress of a team and can also destroy the career of any player no matter how good such a player may be.
“We are here to appreciate God for what he did for us in the out going football year. If I attempt to stand here to chronicle all that happened to this club last season, we will not leave this Church today. This is because the journey was difficult for us as humans but God was in control of everything for us. It was a year in which so many terrible things happened and one of such was a fatal accident which involved our supporters club bus along Ekparakwa road on their way to a match in Port Harcourt in which we lost one fan while many others sustain various degree of injuries, but God was with us”.
In his sermon, the minister in charge, Apostle Gabriel Umana who took his reflection from the book of Isaiah chapter 40: 31 encouraged the team to wait on the Lord so that their strength may be renewed.
Umana prayed for God’s favour, blessings and protection on the team in the coming 2016/2017 season just as a minute silence was observed in honour of the late cashier of the club Mr Ndifreke who died last month.
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