Two Nigerian Kids To Meet Messi, Pirlo In UCL Final

To Represent Their Nation As Official UEFA Champions League Final Player Mascots

After being named winners of the MasterCard Goal Celebration Contest, two football-loving children from Nigeria will be part of a MasterCard Priceless Experience this weekend as official player mascots for the UEFA Champions League Final in Berlin at the Olympiastadion.

The two winners – Abba Ahmed and Jordan Ubah – will walk through the tunnel and onto the pitch, escorting star players from FC Barcelona and Juventus. The player mascots will also experience the buzz and excitement of the pre-match build up, which includes access to the tunnel, a practice run out and collection of their official match day uniform.
“Taking to the field for a UEFA Champions League Final is one of the absolute highlights in any footballer’s career. Our player mascots will enjoy an absolutely priceless experience on the pitch on Saturday,” says Omokehinde Ojomuyide, Vice President and Area Business Head, MasterCard, West Africa, selected the two finalists.
The contest saw parents, teachers and football coaches share videos of their children and students performing a goal celebration on social media to stand a chance to win a MasterCard Priceless Experience, which also includes an all-expense paid trip with their families to watch the UEFA Champions League Final.
The panel of judges consisting of internationally renowned football legend Nwankwo Kanu; Tunji Adeyinka, Managing Director, Connect Marketing; and Ojomuyide, selected the two finalists from hundreds of entries.
“What MasterCard is doing is important for these children, it is important for us footballers to interact with them and it is important for Nigeria to be part of such global sporting events. When these children experience traveling for the first time, when they experience being part of the UEFA Champions League Final – that feeling is priceless,” says Kanu.
When notifying these two children that they had won the contest, MasterCard created two Priceless Surprises to make the experience even more special.
Ahmed’s Priceless Surprise included being invited to attend a movie with his family. The movie was interrupted by a video message from Kanu, who pronounced Ahmed one of the contest’s winners. Kanu then walked into the movie theatre and presented Ahmed with his player escort jersey, after which they performed a goal celebration.
As a finalist, Ubah and his family were invited to attend a fitting session at a sportswear store. As they walked into the store, they were given a Priceless Surprise when Kanu, who was disguised as a mannequin, unveiled himself to present Jordan with his player escort jersey.
“We are very proud of our longstanding association with the UEFA Champions League. The tournament has delivered countless priceless moments and the fans have been there all the way, so it is fantastic to be able to give these two Nigerians and their families a priceless experience at this year’s UEFA Champions League Final,” says Ojomuyide.