Amid Pomp, 5th JOF U-13 Cup Ends At UNILAG’s Sports Centre

It was a colourful final ceremony on Sunday at the Sports Centre of the University of Lagos in Akoka, Yaba, Lagos when the curtain was drawn on the 5th edition of the JOF U-13 Cup Football Championship.

The final match between Zamadek Boys of Lagos Island and HB Utility of Ilupeju was a spectacle as the young stars displayed football artistry to the delight of the dignitaries who included the Managing Director of the sponsor company, JOF Nigeria Ltd, Dr Olusegun Olugboyegun and a host of others.

The boys of HB Utility were too much for their opponents as they triumphed in a 3-0 victory, earning the star prize of this year’s edition of N750,000, while Zamadek were given N500,000.

Latoyam Football Club of Coker Aguda won the third-place encounter. They pipped Strong Dove from Orile Iganmu 1-2. Courtesy of the sponsor, the third-position winners pocketed the sum of N350,000, while Strong Dove earned N250,000.

An elated Managing Director of JOF Nigeria Ltd., Dr Olugboyegun said the past five years of the tournament have been so exciting with the discovery of future stars for the Nigerian age-grade teams.

“I am very pleased with the display of these boys in the final. It shows that we are contributing our quota to their development. We are truly catching them young because I understand that we have a player who is nine years old among these boys. This shows that before they are of ripe age, they must have become superstars that will take over from the ageing players in the national teams.

“This is an encouragement for us to put in more effort in organizing this tournament every year,” he said.

Dr Olugboyegun disclosed that a JOF All-Stars team would be assembled for further grooming and exposure as it was done last year.