Okocha clashes with Puyol as Unmissable Match holds in Uyo

It promises a thrill of epic proportion when two globally iconic footballers featuring in contrasting positions clash. This is the setting at the “Unmissable Match” holding in Uyo on April 16.

Austin Jay Jay Okocha, a master dribbler, will be leading an array of stars, who will attempt to break a defensive wall marshalled by former FC Barcelona central defender, Carles Puyol Saforcada, who is better known as Puyol.

He was a three-time winner of the UEFA Champions League trophy with FC Barcelona in 2006, 2009 and 2011. On the other hand, Okocha featured in three straight World Cup competitions for Nigeria in 1994, 1998 and 2002 and was one of the top 125 living footballers in the world named by the legendary Brazilian football icon, Pelé some years ago. Significantly, only five players from Africa made the list.

That is the setting when Nigeria’s Austin Jay Jay Okocha leads the ‘Shine Shine Bobo’ squad, depicting the Star Lager Beer, to face a Puyol “The Wall” -inspired team, tagged The Chairman Team.

The ‘Chairman Team’ depicts Heineken, the Chairman of International Premium Beers and official partner of UEFA and UEFA Champions League since 1994.

The “Unmissable Match” is part of the UEFA Champions League Tour. Football fans will be the major beneficiaries when both brands from the stable of Nigeria Breweries line out iconic stars to feature in “Unmissable Match” on April 16 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.

The match will feature 20 minutes each half, with a mixture of footballers from Akwa United Football club, selected Heineken consumers and ex-Nigerian international footballers such as Mutiu Adepoju, Daniel Amokachi, Austin Eguavoen and Uche Okechukwu playing for either either side of Unmissable Match.

Carlos Puyol will captain the Chairman team of Heineken while former Super Eagles captain, Okocha will captain the Shine Shine Bobo team of Star.

Already, in a trending video on social media, Okocha is calling on the public to be part of the excitement. Tickets are already in distribution to fans via outlets in Uyo and environs, just as listeners have been engaged on radio programmes with several tickets already won and some lucky fans have won the right to be at the Consumers’ later in the evening.

The Unmissable Match is a complimentary moment to the visit of the UEFA Champions League Trophy for the third time since 2009 and 2014. It is the first time the tour would be held outside Lagos and it will give teeming football fans the unique opportunity to come close to the iconic trophy and have photo opportunity to it and its ambassador, Carlos Puyol courtesy of Heineken, the International premium lager beer.