Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha to lock horns in FIFA 20 ePremier League tournament

Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha are to compete against each other in a FIFA 20 tussle later this week. The news came in just after the final confirmation of the draw for the inaugural ePremier League tournament.

Reportedly, quite a number of top-flight players have signed up for the e-tournament and they are set to represent their respective clubs. The virtual competition has been planned in an attempt to generate enough funds for the NHS to help them fight the coronavirus crisis.

Apart from the footballers, it has been reported that several celebrity fans would also participate in the inaugural ePremier League.

The tournament would follow a knockout structure, with players testing their video game football skills against each other. The virtual championship would run between 20 and 25 April, and players would compete right from the comfort of their homes.

Apart from Manchester City forward Sterling and Crystal Palace star Zaha, the other footballers to take part in the event are Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold and Wolves' Diogo Jota.

While Sterling and Zaha will compete against each other on Wednesday, Alexander-Arnold would take on British singer Tom Grennan, who would represent Manchester United.

In another exciting draw, Tottenham Hotspur's Moussa Sissoko will take on his former side Newcastle United.

Mirror reports that Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said, "We are aware of the importance of finding new ways to entertain fans at this time and we're excited to bring together a strong line-up of players for the ePremier League tournament. We know how popular FIFA 20 is with players and I'm looking forward to seeing who will be crowned the ePL Invitational champion."

Video games have come to the rescue for many sports amidst the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Fans are missing their favourite players on the pitch and the sporting authorities are missing out on their income opportunities.

Across the world, most major sporting events have been either suspended indefinitely or been cancelled entirely for the season. Amidst such an emergency, clubs and regulatory bodies are seeking refuge in the video game versions of their respective sports.

Recently, multiple versions of the virtual Formula 1 Grand Prix were organised and those events gained tremendous popularity. It remains to be seen whether fans would welcome the ePremier League in the absence of regular football.