MasterCard thrilled soccer lovers in a night of the UEFA Champions League final 2015 VVIP Party. A great evening that saw the gathering of most famous and former captains of the Super Eagles, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu converge with hundreds of fans to catch the fun of the UEFA Champions League final between La Liga champions Barcelona and Serie A winners Juventus
MasterCard have been a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League, and has been supporting the European league for more than 20 years.
Speaking at the memorable night, Omokehinde Ojomuyide, Vice President and Area Business Head, MasterCard West Africa said the initiative is to reward consumers with unrivalled experiences.
“We are excited to reward Nigerians with a once in a lifetime experience, celebrating special moments with their families. This year we decided to extend our Priceless Africa program beyond MasterCard holders to deliver unforgettable experiences for the whole family. Furthermore, we create opportunities like these to reward consumers with unrivalled experiences that help them pursue their passions and encourage a continual shift from cash to electronic payments,” Ojomuyide said.
Ojomuyide assured that this initiative would be continuous a gesture from MasterCard.
“MasterCard is committed to unveiling further priceless moments for consumers in Nigeria, that are along diverse passion points. To this end, we are working closely with local partners to enhance Nigeria’s reputation as a global destination, by creating unique experiences for residents and tourists. MasterCard places its consumers at the core of all it does; and by making their experiences in Nigeria or around the world unforgettable and priceless, we are able to accomplish this goal.”
Okocha praised MasterCard for the initiative, but lamented the absence of Nigerian players in the UEFA Champions League final.
“It’s a shame that we didn’t have any Nigerian playing in the Champions League final, it reflects the level of our football and the profile of our players. Perhaps the new generation in Nigeria football will be able to play at the Champions League level soon,” the ex-PSG midfielder said.
“I’m not a coach or a scout so I cannot identify which Nigerian player in the junior teams will grow to play like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. I’ve not scouted anybody because I don’t have interest in that. But I think we’re not short of talent in Nigeria; I don’t have any doubt that we can produce players that can excel at the top level.”
Kanu in is reaction, hailed MasterCard for sponsoring two Nigerian kids to watch the UEFA Champions League final in Berlin.
“It’s a wonderful and fantastic event, am really happy and I thank MasterCard for putting this together and bringing us together, the former Arsenal strike said.
“It’s good as MasterCard is giving back to the society and happy to be part of it.
“Two Nigerians won in 1995 edition of the UEFA Champions league final and two Nigerian kids are watching the finals live in Berlin. It means a lot for the kids, family and for Nigeria.”
Kanu also charged other corporate organisations to emulate MasterCard in giving back to the society.
Anthony Nlebem
@AnthonyNlebem
