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The occasion was made possible by Word On The Pitch (WORDOP), a Christian group that is focused on spreading the gospel through football.
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Four U-15 teams competed for the ultimate prize
As a way of giving back to society, the team travelled to the Okurase community in a bid to use sports (football in particular) to impart the word of God into young footballers.
The occasion was headlined by a football gala between u-15 teams from Okurase and its environs.
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The host community, Okurase was represented by Okuraseman Soccer Academy, while three other football teams, Young United (Adeiso), Veterns FC (Mepom), and United Academy (Sukrong) also participated.
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In what was a keenly contested competition, Okuraseman soccer Academy and Vaterns FC managed to advance to the final.
Both teams could not be separated after normal time, leading to a penalty shootout, which was ultimately won by hosts Okuraseman Soccer Academy.
Meanwhile, Young United and United Academy placed third and fourth respectively.
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All the four teams received footballs donated by Alive and Kicking. The first and second-placed teams also received a set of WORDOP training bibs each.
The best of player of the tournament also received footballs donated by Alive and Kicking.
Explaining the rationale behind such a project, the coordinator for WORDOP, Maame Soma Amoah said: “Christmas is a perfect time to remind the world about Jesus. We are footballer lovers therefore we are drawn towards sharing the gospel with young athletes. We also deem it critical to partner with a local church that will take up the shepherding of the souls won.”
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The day was packed with other exciting activities including gospel jama competition, football joggling, mentoring and football quiz.
There was also a session for praises and worship led by Lighthouse Chapel from Adeiso, as well as refreshment and awards for deserving young athletes.
The Mission Head for Lighthouse Chapel, Adeiso, Rev. Ampofo Godwithus called on the young athletes to take their relationship with God very seriously.
He urged them to prioritise salvation by putting God first before anything else in their careers.