Maccabi Football Club of Nigeria holds Purim Service at Gihon Synagogue.
As Jews all over the world celebrate the Purim festival, honoring the triumph achieved in the 4th century in Persia against Haman, the enemy of Jews, a young Jewish football club in the heart of West Africa went out of their way to bring Jewishness into sports. There could be no better occasion than Purim, the first significant festival of 2025, to celebrate and revel in the spirit of triumph and miracles that characterize the history of our Jewish ancestors.
The evening buzzed with excitement and a vibrant festive atmosphere as the young players, primarily from the Gihon Hebrew Synagogue, along with their fans, gathered at the synagogue in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, to get ready for the Purim eve service, where they would read the megillah Esther, in accordance with Purim tradition. The players who spent the night at the synagogue resumed the service in the morning with a Torah service, attended by both the older and younger members of the congregation, along with two visitors who expressed their delight in attending the service at the Synagogue.
Mr. Gate-Way Buba, who generously donated wine to the synagogue for the celebration, commended the football club for their commitment to Judaism. He commended the Jewish people globally for their unwavering faith in the Emunah, even in the face of persecution. Shlomo Ben Yakov, the technical director of the Nigerian Maccabi Football Club, expressed that the Maccabi FCN was established to support Jewish youths in Nigeria in their journey to become better Jews, emphasizing that pursuing football will not distance them from their faith. Instead of merely being club members, it will encourage the players to practice Judaism with deep commitment. He emphasized that the football club has consistently celebrated Jewish festivals as a team since its founding.
Making history in Jewish football has been a top agenda item for the few organizations that support it and other forms of youth development. Over the years, we have witnessed football activities in different states across the country playing host to the national youth Shabbat gathering. As time passed, the desire to become a more organized professional team with support and active management intensified, as the aspiration to participate in the Maccabiah grew stronger. However, following the conclusion of the August 2024 youth gathering in Abuja, the path to the Maccabi Games appears clear, with a Nigerian youth soccer team set to make its debut in the Israeli Olympics. If this eventually happens, then they will emerge as the first all-Black African football team to make it to the prestigious sporting tournament created since 1932.
Kayim, one of the players who spoke at the special Purim event, said that being a member of the Maccabi football club has helped him in the practice of Judaism. He said being among players and managers that practice Judaism made him feel at home. Further, he expressed his hope that the club will be able to participate in the upcoming Maccabiah in Israel.
If we receive acceptance to participate in the Maccabi tournament in Israel, I will be extremely happy.” It will be a dream come true for me and other players. It will be a dream come true.”
While speaking on the phone during his travels to Uganda, Avraham Ben Avraham, the director of media and communication at the football club, emphasized the significance of taking part in the upcoming sporting tournament scheduled to take place in July.
We are committed to ensuring that our football club, the sole Jewish football club in West, Central, and Eastern Africa, participates in the forthcoming Maccabi Games in Israel. We are engaging in discussions with Jewish stakeholders both in Africa and beyond. A few months ago, we made headline in Yedioth Ahronoth, the largest daily newspaper in Israel. We are confident that our efforts will produce beneficial outcomes both in the present and moving forward. Should we achieve success, it will yield numerous positive outcomes for the tournament and for Jewish athletics across various regions of Africa that have not had the opportunity to participate in these tournaments since they began.
At the end of the eventful Purim service of prayers and merriment, everyone hurried home to begin preparation for Shabbat, which began later in the evening. Folks were joyful to see the young males active both in sports and Judaism and looked forward to another event with the youths at the helms of leading prayer services. The special event was proudly sponsored through the collective effort of the synagogue community members, the Initiative for Progressive Judaism Development (IPJD), and the management of the Maccabi FC Nigeria.
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