"Pepsi On The Ball" viewers turn 'Oliver

When brewers of the soft drinks, PEPSI came up with a TV initiative aimed at entertaining and further promoting the game of football in Nigeria, little did they know that, it would become a programme that would make close to one million 'hits' on the internet.

Not just that alone; besides making so many hits on the internet, the programme, nigeriasports.com gathered that, it has attracted so many TV viewers and soccer lovers that, the initiators are now grappling with crowded calls and messages from Nigerians, who want to be part of the weekly TV show.

Speaking with nigeriasports.com on behalf of Pepsi and the Pepsi Football Academy, Consultant and programme Executive Poducer, Iain Nelson disclosed that, "I was delighted with the public response to the show.

" Our programme, 'Pepsi On The Ball' aimed to be very different. We intended, through the programme, to bring together the huge level of interest in football and Pepsi's major involvement with the sport and its development in an unusual and entertaining manner."

These were not the only aims of the programme, and Nelson would tell you more; " As a significant contributor to the hopes and aspirations of "Football Nigeria," we wanted to highlight Pepsi's involvement and I am pleased to confirm that, we are achieving this,"the man, who was in the driver's seat in Pepsi's sponsorship of the Nigerian Football League at a time, confessed.

And apparently in a bid to further drill-home the confirmation of his success story of the programme, he continued: "As an example, puiblic awareness of the role and contribution of the Pepsi Football Academy is as high as it has ever been. " Millions of TV viewers now know that eight Pepsi Football Academy graduates were in the Flying Eagles squad at the World Youth Championship in Holland.

" As further examples, since the first programme was aired, our Pepsi Football Academy website has had over a quarter of a million 'hits' and we recieve thousands of viewers' entries each week from the 'Fans Club' segment, trying to be the lucky winner of the one weekly prize of a TV set."

The presenter of the programme, Pepsie Adiukwu could also not hide her pleasure at the success of the show so far. "Pepsi wanted to add a new dimension to 'TV game shows' and I believe we are achieving this.

"The show is probably the only quiz show on TV, where the 'contestants' win nothing except the fun of taking part," she said as she looked forward to the next episodes.

You want to be part of the show? Then check out the Pepsi Football Academy website: www.pepsifootballacademy.com And if you are a viewer, who wishes to submit his/her entries to the weekly Pepsi On The Ball 'FanClub' question to be the lucky winner of the TV set, then you can email your answer to: question@pepsifootballacademy.com