NALCOMA Pre-season: Abia Comets finish as runners-up, Kun Khalifat are champions

By Emmanuel Chinedu

Abia Comets Football Club of Umuahia, emerged as the runners-up, of the inaugural Abia State Governor’s NALCOMA pre-season tournament, which was held at the Enyimba Stadium, Aba.

The tournament, which featured six teams from the South-east region, brought a lot of fireworks with a thrilling final, which the Comets lost by 4-3 to Kun Khalifat following a penalty shoot-out. The match had ended 1-1 after the regulation time.

The newly-promoted team to the NNL took the lead, in the 67th minute, through a strike by Samuel Awurum. However, Comets leveled the through a late minute strike by defender, Bright Ogbonna, forcing the game to be decided on penalties.

In the penalty shoot-out, Abia Comets FC managed to convert three out of their five penalties, while the Owerri-based Kun Khalifat FC converted four penalties and were thus crowned the champions.

Speaking shortly after the game, Comets head coach, Okechukwu Ejeh expressed disappointment over the outcome of the game, but said that the team will be ready for the first game of the season away at Edel FC early next month.

“We’re really disappointed not to have won the trophy, but it was a difficult game, and there are some things we failed to do better in the game.

“However, we still have three weeks to prepare better for our first game of the season. I believe that the team will be ready for the first game of the season against Edel.”

At the conclusion of the tournament, George Aluo, the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), commended the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, for his unwavering support of youth sports. He encouraged the teams to take full advantage of the opportunity provided by the tournament to refine their squads ahead of the upcoming league season, set to begin on November 30.

Comets chairman Chief Boniface Alozie Uche, the NALCOMA representative in the NNL Board, also praised Governor Otti for his commitment to the development of youth football.

He expressed optimism that the teams would benefit greatly from the tournament, helping them make the necessary adjustments before the commencement of the 2024/25 NNL season.

The four-day tournament had six teams: Abia Comets (Umuahia), Kun Khalifat (Owerri), Edel (Awka), Solution (Awka), Diamond FA (Umuahia), and Uchecaria FC (Aba).

Comets will now turn their focus on preparations, ahead of the new season, with the first game away at Awka, against Edel, in a Southern Conference Group A encounter, on December 7, 2024.