Maccabi FC Nigeria Takes Part in Camp Sarah 2025 Activities.
In another jubilation moment for the Nigerian Jewry, the Maccabi Football Club of Nigeria recently made its mark on this year’s Camp Sarah Camping with a football match to entertain the campers. As one of the first Jewish football clubs in Nigeria, Maccabi FCN, which is looking forward to making history in Jewish football, was founded with a dual mission: to promote Judaism and provide an athletic platform for talented Jewish players to showcase their skills without compromising their faith.
As Nigeria is a nation with many talented footballers, Maccabi FCN helps strengthen Jewish identity and community by providing a platform for Jewish players to pursue their passion for football. The club’s founders believe that sports can be a powerful tool for building connections and fostering a sense of belonging among Jewish youth. Its participation in the 2025 Camp Sarah event in Abuja, Nigeria, marked a significant milestone in its journey in its two years of existence.
Inside Camp Sarah, which is a typical children’s playground for arts, sports, leadership training, and learning Judaism, is currently running its third edition. In the summer of 2023, the inaugural summer camping event took place in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, at Tikvat Yisrael Synagogue at Kubwa, a suburb of the federal capital territory. Since its inception, the camp gathering has continued to grow in strength, usually consisting of participants from within Nigeria, Africa, and overseas, with prospects of expanding into a conventional Jewish camp as seen across the globe.
This year’s outing, held in the same venue, began on the 7th of August and is scheduled to take place for a period of at least two weeks. As usual, it begins with a leadership training where camp volunteers meet to plan and discuss how to run a successful camp while keeping the children entertained by learning Judaism through fun and creative ways.
Seven days into the camping, exactly on a Sunday, 17th August, the campers moved out and gathered at the Black and White School Field, Phase 4, Kubwa, Abuja, to witness a thrilling encounter between Maccabi FCN and Legacy FC, another youth football team based in the Kubwa area. The atmosphere was lively, with supporters on both sides cheering passionately from the sidelines.
The game began with high intensity, and Legacy FC drew first blood in the first half with a well-taken goal, putting Maccabi FCN on the back foot. Maccabi thought they had equalized shortly after, but their goal was controversially ruled out for offside, leaving them trailing as the whistle blew for halftime.
The second half, on the other hand, offered an entirely different story. Maccabi FCN returned with renewed energy, pressing hard and dominating possession. Their persistence paid off when Daniel found the back of the net to level the score. Riding on the momentum, Daniel struck again with a composed finish, completing his brace and turning the game around.
The final whistle confirmed a 2–1 comeback victory for Maccabi FCN, a match that left fans celebrating the fighting spirit and resilience of the team. Kadmiel, a cantor in Gihon Hebrew Synagogue and one of the volunteers at Camp Sarah, revealed after the match how tough the match was for his team, most especially during the first half.
“The match was tough because we were playing against an opponent we had never faced before. And it was hard, especially during the first half because they were a bit physical and playing at home. However, with the help of our supporters, we gradually gained momentum in the match, demonstrated teamwork, dominated the game, and ultimately emerged victorious. Baruch Hashem.”
The match day victory was dedicated to Camp Sarah, whose campers and volunteers and management trooped out en masse to encourage the team, which has some of its players working in the camp as volunteers.
“During the match, one of the foreign visitors who was watching from the bench said he loved the energy and fighting spirit put up by the players coming from one goal down and then eventually leading the game. Interestingly, another visitor said that the Nigerian Jewish team would definitely go as far as winning the Maccabiah tournament in Israel some day if given the opportunity of participating in the Israeli Olympics.”
At the end of the football game, the fans and supporters were happy and felt truly entertained by the Maccabi Nigerian players. Some of the foreign visitors, impressed with the performance, took the players out for swimming, after which they had a good lunch and spoke about the game. They were also gifted some cash for transportation back to their bases.
According to Shlomo Yaakov, the technical coach of the Maccabi FCN, the players showed resilience and the spirit of true sportsmanship to emerge victorious at the end of the game. With a promising future, the team looks set to continue to train and play active football games, with the ultimate goal being participation in the prestigious Israeli Maccabi Games. Interestingly, there’s even more in front, as the formation of a proposed Maccabi African Confederation (MAC) is the top agenda of discussion between the South African Maccabi Union, the IPJD, and the A.B.A. Foundation. When this development materializes, the team will be ready to compete against other Jewish football clubs across the African continent.
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