Ahead of football competitions to celebrate the yuletide, the Imo Football Association has called on the administrators to register their tournaments to avoid any disruption.
This is even as arrangements are in top gear to host the first edition of the Imo Autonomous Community Super Cup.
Chairman of the Imo Football Association, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam made the disclosure in a statement.
Even as each autonomous football club has been charged to send in names of their FA autonomous community football Representative currently compiled at the Imo Football Association office Owerri.
The community football Representative is to liaise with the FA to ensure the game is properly officiated and devoid of violence and rancour associated with games.
Uchegbulam said the Imo FA is set to commence the “Imo Autonomous Community Super Cup” which will be an avenue to harness the abundant skills in the state.
Already the Association is perfecting talks with Cup Donors to tidy up funding modalities for the Super Cup to encourage grassroots football.
According to him, the FA is desirous of a close relationship with Cup Donors in the quest to move football higher in the state, noting that they are critical stakeholders.
Uchegbulam congratulated the different communities who have commenced their tournaments as part of activities to mark the yuletide season.
However he warned that such tournaments if not affiliated to the FA risk penalties saying all football tournaments must be brought to the notice of the FA in other to attract the benefits.
According to him, the Imo FA will be stricter from 2022 warning that communities that flout the rules are at the risk of football ban.
He said “FA will be stricter beginning from next year to enforce and even ban football activities in any community that wilfully ignores the invitation to work with us since the Football Law permits us to wield such powers when necessary”.
He admonished all football lovers and stakeholders in the state via their various autonomous communities to work with the FA for the development of grassroot football, noting that Imo is overdue for a second premiership football Club.
Uchegbulam expressed gratitude to Cup Donors who he said supports the development of football in their various autonomous communities but maintained that will achieve more if affiliated to the Imo Football Association.
Meanwhile activities are in top gear to host a one day FA stakeholders meeting with Cup Donors from the various autonomous communities to a roundtable on the development of the leather game in the state in January 2022.
The CAF Instructor expressed hopes that soon budding football talents will be discovered and harnessed for the development of the game saying Imo State will be the destination point for the leather game soon.
