Nigeria’s Farouk Manzo has made it to the EAFC Pro Open Regional Qualifiers, making him the first player from the country to do so. The young pro player competed in the Pro Open Ladder for a week and finished in the top 64 spot to qualify.
“It was like a dream come true. We’ve been waiting for the main servers in Nigeria and I think we can validate our demand. I feel very proud of myself because I put in the work, I worked hard, and it was a long time coming. I hope to make the country proud.”
Farouk
In FIFA 22, EA expanded eligibility for pro competitions to countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, opening up new opportunities for aspiring pro players.
For Farouk, his journey has been almost a decade in the making. Since he was a young kid, he’s had the support of his parents to be able to play the game he loves.
His first tournament was in 2015, when he was just about 12 years old, pitting him against significantly older competitors. Since then, he’s won several national tournaments, including the 2020 and 2021 LGD Oled Tournament.
What is the EAFC Pro Open?
After ending their nearly 30-year-long partnership with FIFA, EA introduced a new format for pro players. Instead of the FIFA Global Series, pro players will now partake in the EAFC Pro with Pro Open and Pro League tournaments.
Farouk participated in the first Pro Open Ladder of the season and made it to the Pro Open Regional Qualifiers, where the top 64 players in all of Africa will compete from October 14 to 15. After this stage, the top two players in Africa will compete in the EAFC Pro Open Global Qualifier with a prize pool of $180,000.
A race to qualify for the World Championship
When it comes to the EAFC (FIFA) professional scene in Africa, there is no doubt that countries like South Africa and Egypt are way ahead of their counterparts. This is in part due to the proximity of servers and a more established ecosystem in these countries.
“Egypt and South Africa have been dominating the online African region because for South Africa, they have a server there and egyptians they’re a bit close to [countries] with good ping. So, now with the addition of Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, it’s going to have a lot of twists to it. With the whole Pro Open Ladder, a lot of top [players] in recent FIFA’s have actually gone down a bit, so it’s going to be a very interesting year with it being a new game too. “
Farouk
With very few spots for the African region in the World Championship, Farouk has set his sights on securing one of those coveted spots this season. While there is still a long way to go and very tough opponents to face, it is clear that Farouk is ready to make his mark in the new EAFC competitive scene.
