BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Global football training institution, the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar which reshaped the global sporting landscape, celebrated its 20th anniversary by honouring one of those who shaped the institution, Zohair Ammar.

He is a well-known Egyptian sports management instructor and expert in sports marketing.

As an advisor, Ammar was instrumental in the founding of the institution which has been a beacon for sports academies globally.

Zohair Ammar – a honour well deserved.

Ammar was given special recognition at the 20th anniversary of the institution which also coincided with the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

He was an advisor to the founding committee and witnessed the Emiri decree in 2004 that brought this ambitious project to life.

Aspire, an independent government-funded agency, was born, reporting directly to the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani through the heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

In 2008 a significant milestone was reached with an Emiri decree that integrated Aspire Academy as a strategic business unit (SBU) within the newly formed Aspire Zone Foundation.

This transition, while altering the organizational structure, did not alter the core mission of Aspire: to nurture and develop exceptional athletes, both locally and globally.

 Ammar’s personal connection to Aspire ran deep. He had been honoured to attend the grand opening ceremony in 2005, led by the Emir himself at the magnificent Aspire Dome.

The event marked Aspire’s official debut on the world stage, signalling its commitment to excellence and innovation.

As a sports journalist, I got to know Ammar while attending the FIFA/CIES diploma course in sports management at Cairo University in 2011/2012.

I had the privilege of learning from his expertise. As the program manager, Ammar’s dedication to fostering the next generation of sports leaders was evident.

My wife and I became the first couple that attend the course and were fortunate enough to complete the 4th edition of this prestigious program,

We are living testimonies to the valuable insights and inspiration imparted by Ammar.

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A Nigerian lady, Ebiere Joseph Akunwa who was one of the pioneer staff members of football magazine, Kick-Off when the South African-based publication was launched in Nigeria in 2002 has been recognised among 100 influential women in South Africa in 2024.

  Ebiere Joseph Akunwa receives her award from Pinky Mothie, the Director of Influential Women and Artes Awards IWAA.

Years ago, she was an advertising and marketing executive for the Nigerian edition of Kick Off magazine. She has since veered off into culinary. As an  entrepreneur and owner of Taste Full Plate

In Cape Town South Africa, she was recognised at the epoch-making Influential Women and Artes Awards (IWAA) 2024 held at  Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.

The award recognises women doing South Africa proud by making a substantial difference in their communities through their various selfless, humanitarian and enterprising endeavours that cut across different sectors of the country. 

It had in attendance  Bollywood star and King of Diversity Rajiv Mothie Doorghepersadh.

 Ebiere Joseph-Akwunwa with Rajiv Mothie  a multifaceted professional with expertise as an Actor, Producer, Media Buyer, Marketing Specialist, and Performance Coach.

Ebiere Joseph Akunwa who was among the 100 women recognised explained that she started the catering business just five years ago when she opened her first Taste Full Plate Dining at 77 Voortrekker Road Boston, Bellville.

“Taste Full Plate has curated menus and featured in big food events like the International Food Evening at the University of Stellenbosch which is the university’s biggest event aimed at using food to integrate its students. Taste Full Plate is fast becoming a household name providing special culinary services for destination weddings.” 

Since 2020, Taste Full Plate has also been catering to the needs of film-makers seeking adventitious food effects. The services of Taste Full Plate are also extended to the Sports and Recreation industry where the culinary needs of cyclists attending the Cape Town and Franschhoek Cycle Tours are been served since 2017.

Ebiere Joseph-Akwunwa flanked to her left by  Dr Mama K Akiyode-Adebayo  )of the Nigerian Community Western Cape and Prof Ada Ordor the Director at Centre for Comparative Law in Africa at the University of  Cape Town.

Taste Full Plate also vends its services to exclusive student groups and specific departments of the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape.

 She explained that her motivation in using Nigerian food to venture into the hospitality industry in South Africa was anchored on what she described as her defining mantra “Look at the Chinese; they first conquered the world with their food and then their products. Today, the rest is history”

 Ebiere holds a master’s degree in Public Relations Management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and enjoys a laid-back family time with her husband Joseph and daughters Odein and Virtue.

With the previous NFF Award which debuted in 2018 apparently in comatose, the Nigeria Football Federation on Monday announced the imminence of a Football Awards that will recognize, celebrate and reward the best players and coaches in the Nigeria game on a monthly basis.

These Awards, meant to further generate, enable and inspire positive conversations around the Nigeria game at home and abroad, will feature seven categories in its initial format, highlighting the contributions of players and coaching staff across the ‘beautiful game.’

The NFF Awards will not only recognize and honour individual excellence, but also provide valuable sponsorship opportunities, potentialities and possibilities, allowing companies and institutions to support the development, growth and sustainability of the Nigeria game.

With a focus on celebrating achievements and sector-wide accomplishments, fostering meaningful and fruitful fan engagements, showcasing Nigeria Football on the global stage and keeping conversations on the Nigeria game permanently on the front burner globally, the NFF Awards project promises to be a cornerstone programme for the sport in the country.

The NFF projects that the Awards, and the robust conversations that it will generate online and offline, will contribute immensely to the new drive and efforts to reposition the country’s domestic Leagues, and ultimately engender steadfast interest of the private sector in the Nigeria game.  

Further details on the Awards, including award categories, nomination process and launch date, will be released in the coming weeks.