Journalists beat boastful doctors in novelty football match

In a move to stage a revenge of the 2022 4-1 winning of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA-FCT), the Nigeria Union of Journalists, FCT Council, on Saturday beat Nigerian Medical Association by 3-1 in a novelty football match marking the NMA-FCT Week.

The NUJ’s victory looked like a revenge over the medical doctors’ 4-1 win in the previous edition of the competition.

The celebration of the week, began on  Aug. 6, with Church thanksgiving.

After the 90 minutes game, Princess Joy Idam, a former Assistant Secretary General, NUJ FCT Council, told NAN that the NUJ squad prepared well to revenge their 2022 defeat.

According to her, because of the defeat last year, the NUJ went back to the drawing board to see where they got it wrong, and came back strongly with determination to win.

She said the team kept on training every Saturday, to prepare ahead of the game which finally ended in their favour.

“We came back with one thing in mind and that is to thrash NMA team and we have done that, we can only return all the glory to God, my advice for the NUJ team is to maintain the standard.

She also praised the chairman of the NUJ Correspondents Chapel for doing a good job with the team.

Idam, however advised the NUJ to maintain the winning streak, saying that they should always play every match as if it was their last game, all in the aim to win.

The Coach of the NUJ team, Mr Bob Etemiku, said that the victory was a great one, saying that “we came, we saw and we conquered”.

He said the NMA team  beat the NUJ during the 2022 novelty event, and they had continued to tell his team that they were still going to beat them.

“These people beat us the last time and they brought us back to tell us they wanted to beat us again, but we were prepared for the game and we beat them.

“You can see from the result of what we have done,  3 goals to 1; my boys are fantastic, they played to instructions, they did well, I am very proud of them,” Etemiku said.

Dr Etukumawa Iboro, the Coach of NMA team, stated that his boys just had mercy on the NUJ, stressing that even though his team prepared for the match,  it would not sound well to beat them the second time.

According to him, the match is more like a local derby, and that the two teams were both from the FCT, and wouldn’t want to beat them the second time.

Iboro who is a Surgeon of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), stated that the team would go back to the drawing board to know where the game went wrong, and get it right.

“We prepared for the match but the greater side won the contest, the next time we are going to play together, it will be a much difficult game for the NUJ,” he said.

Dr Adewale Premiere, the Assistant Secretary, NMA-FCT, noted that the match was a good one, saying it was a friendly match since both teams were from the FCT.

According to him, the NUJ has gone to the drawing board and made some adjustments, hence the reason they won the match.

“I think it is good we allow them this time around but when we meet again, we are going to do better,” Premiere said. (NAN)