Emma Njoku
Over N1.8 million will be won in the maiden edition of the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area 5-Aside Street Football Competition, scheduled to kick off on Saturday.
Chairman of Ajeromi LGA, Ayoola Fatai, said the winners of the competition will go home with a cash prize of N1million, in addition to a trophy, while the runners up and third placed team will get N500, 000.00 and N250, 000.00, respectively.
He further said the competition, which is aimed at discovering more talents in the mould of Manchester United striker, Odion Ighalo, is in line with his administration’s vision of using sports to unite residents of Ajegunle and create career opportunities for the youths in the area.
“Ajegunle is famous for producing many football greats, such as Odion Ighalo, Ifeanyi Udeze, Gabriel Okolosi, among others. The street football competition is aimed at discovering and nurturing more talents that would become stars and good ambassadors of Ajegunle.
“Only recently, some white men came here all the way from Greece and said they saw some of the facilities we put in place on the internet, especially the new pitches at the new stadium we are building in honour of Odion Ighalo, and decided to came and see things for themselves. They promised to come back and witness the 5-Aside competition,” Fatai said.