A dream come true for two very special Manchester City fans

Two talented Manchester City fans, one each from India and Nigeria, are set to live their biggest dream after being selected as Goal’s local trainee Man City correspondents.

This opportunity will see the two trainee correspondents work with Goal, to cover the Premier League leaders from close quarters till the end of the season. The two will also be mentored by Goal’s regional editorial teams as well as dedicated Man City correspondent - Jonathan Smith.

TECNO, in partnership with Manchester City, offered this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to its fans in India and Nigeria, as part of its commitment towards creating a genuine impact on the lives of young people which is an area of great importance to both Man City and TECNO.

Fans from all over India and Nigeria submitted their entries for the campaign which was actively promoted across Goal Africa and Goal India’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter handles to reach out to fans of Manchester City.

We must thank every applicant for displaying their immense passion towards the club and sending in their entries for this fan-oriented programme. From over 200 entries that came in, Goal, TECNO and Manchester City went through a rigorous process of elimination before zeroing in on two applicants who impressed the most.

“As a brand aiming to inspire people to never stop pursuing their dream, TECNO is always determined to support people who are persistent, passionate and always striving for excellence”, said Stephen HA, Managing Director of TECNO, VP of Transsion, who is also the key member of the jury.

“We are delighted to initiate this programme to provide job opportunities for young people in emerging markets in partnership with Manchester City and Goal, both professional football industry players with great impact. We look forward to encouraging more people to uncover their enthusiasm and fulfill their dreams through our innovative products, technology and consistent social endeavors.”

Sai Prashanth Nataraj from India and Chukwu Bethel from Nigeria were finally selected for the programme. Both their entries impressed the jury for their passion towards and the club and insight into the sport.

Stefan Coerts, Editor-in-Chief of Goal APAC, felt that Nataraj’s entry was very impressive for his attention to detail. “Nataraj’s presentation skills were very impressive. His passion for Manchester City and the sport of football was very evident and the effort he undertook to translate that into his entry was commendable. He also had very good understanding of the game, which came through really well in his analysis. We are sure he will do a wonderful job and will thoroughly benefit from this programme,” Coerts said.

Steve Blues, Managing Editor of Goal Africa was impressed by the quality and passion of the entries from Nigeria “There were so many great candidates that it was very difficult to narrow it down to the winner. But in the end, Bethel’s entry won us over with a combination of his raw enthusiasm, impressive football knowledge and obvious passion for Manchester City. We look forward to working with Bethel as City look to finish off their season with a number of trophies,” Blues said.

The winners from India and Nigeria now get an opportunity to remain associated with their favourite club from close quarters, as well as kick-off a new chapter in their lives where they are able to convert their passion for football into a career prospect. TECNO will also provide its award-winning camera phone CAMON 16 Premier, for the winners to work with throughout the campaign.

TECNO, a premium mobile phone brand, are the official global partner of Manchester City for handsets and headphones. The brand has a presence in more than 60 countries across the globe with its innovation, technological and artistic progression as well as a diversified product portfolio featuring smartphones and smart AIoT products.