Prince Alade Knocks Lagos FA, Says He Won’t Compete In Challenge Cup Again

SUNDAY AKINTOYE

Lagos FA boss, Seyi Akinunmi

Founder of Alade Football Academy, Prince Tunde Alade has declared loud and clear that he is not interested in competing in the annual Lagos State Challenge Cup starting from this year after playing the tournament five times without any benefit.

Alade in an interview with P.M. EXPRESS alleged that previous Lagos State Challenge Cup was full of poor officiating, favouritism, arbitrary increase in registration fee, increase in affiliation fees and undue control of football clubs and academies in Lagos without the knowledge of members of the Association of Proprietors of Football Academies of Nigeria, APFAN.

“I am not happy the way Lagos State Football Association is managing the Lagos State Challenge Cup and controlling football academies in Lagos. I don’ want to play this year’s Challenge Cup because I am angry with members of FA.

Firstly, I was always robbed out of Lagos FA Cup in the previous years. Despite the huge amount of money I paid for the tournament and affiliation fees, yet I was not treated well. Secondly, we found out that members of Lagos State Football Association are controlling academies in Lagos without the knowledge of the APFAN.  There is association called APFAN in Lagos. As the chairman of APFAN Lagos chapter, I am not a member of Lagos State Football Association so tell me how would I be happy with the association that is making life difficult for me?

Most of our programmes are being taken over by Lagos State Football Association. APFAN is not enjoying any technical, moral, even financial support from Lagos State Football Association. The same association will be calling us o play Challenge Cup Until things are changed before I return, without that, I will go and register my team in another state, “ said Alade.

Alade revealed that he is financially handicapped despite his contribution to football development in Lagos State. He urged Lagos State Football Association to assist him and the APFAN in order to achieve their set targets in new year.

“The Lagos FA should assist association of football academy owners in their own little way so that we APFAN would be able to focus more in the discovery of talented players who will represent the country in the nearest future, said Alade.

He called on Lagos FA to absorb one of the members of APFAN on the board of Lagos State Football Association