Nigeria’s Walking Football Team set for Rwanda tour

The Nigeria Walking Football Soccer Team would on Friday  depart for Kigali  for a two-match  international friendly matches against their Rwandan counterparts  as part of their  preparations for next year’s Walking Football Nations Cup  to be held in Manchester, England.

Walking Football is  reportedly a slower paced version of the beautiful game and  it was originally designed to help get over 50’s back into football and increase physical activity through rekindling players’ love for the game.

Now in its formative years in Nigeria, the  Walking Football Team  would be accompanied to the tour of Kigali by the interim Chairman of  Waka  Football In Nigeria, Godson Uti , while Chairman of Imo State Football Association and Presidential candidate  in the forthcoming 2022 NFF Elections, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam, is expected to captain  the team for the international friendlies.

 “ Nigeria and Rwanda are two of  African  countries  that will feature at next Walking Football Nations Cup  to be held in Manchester in  the summer of 2023,”  Uchegbulam said. “ Of course, the team is made up of  old football enthusiasts and former players but we are not taking anything  to chance as we are preparing well for the Nations Cup   and  going to Rwanda would show our readiness for  the assignment.”

Under the auspices of the Federation of International Walking Football Associations (FIWFA), there will be a maximum of  32 teams across two age groups of  over 50s and over 60s for the delayed  Walking Football World Nations Cup  in Manchester which was to be held in 2020 but  shifted to the summer of 2023.

Apart from Nigeria and Rwanda, five   other African national teams including Zambia,  South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Morocco  have also confirmed their participation  at the Manchester’s  Walking Football World Nations Cup.