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30.07.2015 Sports News

Battle of Konongo: Ashanti Region call Eastern bluff ahead of Airtel Rising Stars

By Allsports.com.gh
Battle of Konongo: Ashanti Region call Eastern bluff ahead of Airtel Rising Stars
30.07.2015 LISTEN

Fireworks is expected to ignite Konongo this weekend when the 2015 Airtel Rising Stars train lands on its second leg for competition for a place in the national finals of Ghana's most authentic and credible football talent competition between Eastern and Ashanti Regions.

The award winning competition will see the Regional Under-15 select teams of the two regions go head to head in a feisty competition for a slot at the national finals of the tournament hailed by the bigwigs of Ghana football.

Following the success of Takoradi which kicked off this year's competition with a Western Region victory last weekend, Konongo will host the second of five zonal competitions preceding the national finals in Sunyani later in the year.

The event will feature two male teams from both Eastern and Ashanti Regions as well as a female team each.  The female teams will face off in one single match while the male teams will be locked in a knockout fight for honours.

Ahead of the tournament this Ashanti Region's Samuel Otu has called the bluff of Eastern Region, vowing that Ashanti will finish on top come Sunday's concluding games.

Francis Oti Akenteng, the Technical Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) who has also been mandated by the soccer controlling body to be the technical overseer of this year's Airtel Rising Stars, has predicted fierce competition laced with excitement during the 2-day event in Konongo.

"The GFA President has made it paramount that we use this competition to build the nucleus of the national Under 17 team. In Konongo, we expect some youngster's national dream to begin. Both Central and Western Region have strong football traditions so I believe it's going to be extremely tough," Oti Akenteng said.

For the Airtel sponsors, implicating the success of the opening weekend in Takoradi and achieve even more in Konongo.

"We want to increase the footprints of Airtel Rising Stars across the country. Very few celebrated or award winning national competitions happen in Wa, Denu or in Konongo and there is certainly no national finals that chooses Sunyani as a shrine," said Kwame Gyan, the Brands and Assets Manager of Airtel Ghana.

From Konongo, Airtel Rising Stars heads to Tamale and WA n quick succession where Upper East and Northern Regions will compete followed by the Upper West and Brong Ahafo Regions. The Volta Regional town of Denu completes the zonal journey and the national finals will be held in Sunyani on the 29th and 30th August 2015. Follow @thedonplato

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