From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has named one of the players of Kebbi State Beach Soccer Club (KBSC), Emeka Hego Ogbonna among the top 100 players in the World.
Ogbonna, a player with Kebbi Beach Soccer Club and also a Nigeria International Beach Soccer player (Super Sand Eagles), was the highest goal scorer during Nigeria’s Copa Lagos International Tournament in 2019. He also won the MVP at the CAF beach soccer African Cup of nations with Nigeria in 2016.
President of the African Beach Soccer Union (ABSU), Mr. Mahmud Hadejia confirmed this at the sidelines of the ongoing second season of Kebbi State Beach Soccer League (KBSL) 2021/2022 edition in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State capital where ten Cubs were slugging it out for the trophy.
Hadejia said; “Just like regular football, there are professional beach soccer players across the World. My friend from Portugal who just came, has worked with one of the Portuguese beach soccer professional players, a legend in Rabah Madjer who was a top beach soccer player in the World. We want to have a lot of Madjer’s here in Kebbi too”.
“In Nigeria, beach soccer worldwide under FIFA recently announced the top 100 beach soccer players in the World and a player from Kebbi Beach Soccer Club (KBSC) who played and won the National Beach Soccer League (NBSL) was named among the top 100 Beach Soccer Players in the World. So, it is a big achievement for Kebbi. We should produce more of these players with the continued support of all the stakeholders from State Government to private firms like WACOT Rice, BAM Projects and Cosgrove Investments who have shown serious interest and commitment to develop the game.
“From here, the Kebbi Fishers are going to compete in the World Winners Championship in Europe to compete with some of the best in the World. At the continental level, we have all come together to promote the culture of beach soccer in African countries through the African Beach Soccer Union (ABSU)”.
Earlier, the National Deputy President of ALGON, Hon. Shehu Marshal Jega disclosed that the association across the 774 Local Government areas in Nigeria would uplift the infrastructure and facilities used by the beach soccer sport across the Country.
According to him ,“because we are very close to the grassroots, and we are partnering with the Kebbi Beach Soccer Association to uplift the standard of the game in the State and in Nigeria at large. Here in Kebbi, we are going to do it and in all the 774 LGAs in Nigeria would fully participate in the uplifting of the standard of the game in Nigeria”, he said.
He appealed to other private investors to partner with beach soccer just as the Kebbi State Government is doing to fully catch the youths at a tender age and empower them through sports.
Marshal, the Chairman of Jega LGA, who is also the Chairman of ALGON in Kebbi State commended the Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu for investing in youths and women in the State. He stressed that by empowering them, the future of the nation is bright.