MultiChoice Nigeria Launches New Football Season Amid Pomp

TAIWO ADELU

MultiChoice Nigeria on Sunday gathered football fans in Lagos to celebrate the new football season which kicked off across major leagues at the weekend.

It was a gathering of lovers of football fans most especially major foreign leagues and essentially the popular English Premier League (EPL).

The launch of the new season has been the annual event of the Africa’s largest cable television service provider of DStv and GOtv in the last four years. To show the importance it attached to the launch, MultiChoice even brought to the venue of the launch at the New Gymnasium of the National Institute of Sports (NIS) inside the National Stadium, Surulere its live studio where famous football stars are usually guests who comments on the matches at interval.

“This launch is very important to us at MultiChoice, that is why we usually organized this launch event to kick start the new football season in the past four years,” said Martin Gaone Mabutho, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, who was decked in the colours of Manchester United as solidarity with his darling team in the EPL.

“Prior to this period, what was in the news was the movement of players in the transfer markets and other activities. The leagues have been in recess, but the season is now with us and when it starts we must blow the whistle louder. To us, it is very important to flag off the new season with a ceremony like this.

“We pick today (Sunday, 11 August, 2019) because the fixtures were quite juicy. We have a lot of supporters of Arsenal FC, Manchester United and Chelsea in Nigeria. This is a way of asking that let’s come together and to let our sponsors and subscribers know how appreciative we are to their supports.

“The new season we have been waiting for is now here. We are going to bring 380 matches live to the delight of our subscribers in High Definition and other boutiques.

“From now onward, we will take the tour to other cities across the country though on a low key than the one we have in Lagos. This we will do in conjunction with our sponsors,” said Mabutho.

The flag off ceremony was an exciting event for the guests, who included members of the media, fans, sponsors and former Nigerian internationals, Joseph Yobo, Victor Ikpeba, ex-coach of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, Fanny Amun and others.

During the launch two matches in the EPL were watched live by the guests. It was moments of joy for fans of Arsenal FC whose team secured three away points as they defeated Newcastle 0-1. Manchester United began their season with an emphatic sweet victory over Chelsea in a pulsating encounter at home which ended 4-0.These victories were savoured amid wining and dining by the guests.

Apart from Mabutho, top manager of MultiChoice Nigeria at the event was award-winner PR Manager of the company, Ms. Chioma Oghuma and others.

Martin Mabutho, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria (standing) celebrates his darling club, Manchester United’s 4-0 victory over Chelsea in their first match of EPL season during MultiChoice’s launch of new football season in Lagos on Sunday