Heineken, the popular international premium lager, is  sponsoring five Nigerians, Diana Nwajiaku-Smart, Isaac Onochie Ijeh, Mayowa Opeyemi George, Franklin Chukwu Ijeh and Felix Amobichukwu Nwafor to the UEFA Champions League Final  in Wembley, London, on May 25.

According to the brand, the quintet were selected for their “inventiveness, ingenuity and resourcefulness  at the “Race to The Final Challenge” , beating over 300 competitors at the event held at the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu  on 13 April, 2013.

Heineken says the lucky Nigerians will go to England on an all-expense paid trip to watch the Final live at the Wembley stadium.

How they emerged

Over 300 contestants  gathered at the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu where they solved four riddles , decoded four  ‘secret’ locations and raced against the clock visiting all locations and completed the journey where the quintet  emerged winners .

The Race to The  Final Challenge was tied to the recently unveiled Heineken UCL campaign called ‘Road to the Final’ and  the launch of a television commercial titled “The Final”.

Jacqueline Van Faassen, Senior brand Manager, Heineken said, “taking a cue from the TV commercial, we created obstacles for contestants in the form of riddles and asked them to be inventive in solving the riddles, then hit the road to the next destination where only the first five that arrived the Heineken Champions Planet automatically won the 5 tickets to Wembley…”

“The mechanics of the challenge was designed not only to choose winners, but to bring out the real “Man of the World” in every participant in relation to the premium brand. It was also to demonstrate that Nigerians can display legendary acts through inventiveness and imagination by bringing out the can-do spirit in them and sportsmanship. Compared to a transparent draw in previous years, this year’s selection put every consumer’s destiny in their own hands.”

One of the winners, Diana Nwajiaku-Smart, commended HEINEKEN for the opportunity saying “the prize is beyond a ticket to the final, it also includes the opportunity to meet Heineken and UCL fans from around the world, take a tour of London and attend super premium parties organized by HEINEKEN, and of course the UEFA Champions League Final match being the highlight of the trip”.