Ajegunle All Stars Football League Kicks Off in Grand Style
The maiden Ajegunle All Stars Football League kicked off in Grand style on Saturday, August , 23 at the Nathaniel Idowu play ground , Orege, Ajegunle and Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle respectively.
The 16, team competition which is for players of 40 years and above is divided into two Groups Each Group will play a total of seven games with the winner and runners – up from each group qualifying for the knockout stage.
Speaking on the tournament, FA Chairman of Ajeromi/ Ifelodun Local Government Area, Micheal Shola 0mojoye, explained that the competition is being organized to enable people to continue to feel the impact of football in Ajegunle considering that the community has produced great footballers and sports men and women who have brought glory to the country.
According to him, the tournament is also important inorder to give ex players the opportunity to exercise themselves, compete in a friendly atmosphere, recreate as well as keep fit and burn out calories.
” Ajegunle has been known for producing many talented footballers and sports men and women. So, we decided to organize this competition, to enable All Stars in the community compete among themselves in a friendly atmosphere and am happy with interest shown by the teams.
He further stated that the tournament is being organized in two venues to give opportunity for more people to feel the impact of the competition.
Im his remarks, Director General, Sports Council, Ajeromi/ Ifelodun Local Government Area MacAnthony Anaelechukwu, said they came up with the idea of the tournament because they wanted to do something out of the extraordinary by getting teams across the Local Government and beyond to come together under one umbrella of unification.
” The purpose of the tournament is to see how we can gather all these group of persons together to socialize, recreate and see how they can create a more business friendly environment because all of them take part in different business activities.
” We believe that coming together will give them that opportunity to train together, play together, share ideas and discuss different business opportunities they have and am happy with the enthusiasm they’ve shown in the competition “, he stated.
Also speaking, Chairman of the League Organizing Committee, Peter Azunnaya Okereke, said the championship is to make the ex players have the feeling that they’re still part of the game.
” You know that Nigerians love football and the passion of the game is very high. Apart from this we’ve been having different competitions and our ex players still play football and that’s why we decided to bring them together to play a friendly competition. It’s a league that will apart from bringing them together will also make communities come out and watch them.
He advised the players to maintain fair play, good sportsmanship and serve as role models for the younger ones.
” Most of the ex players are coaches and supporters of different teams and I want them as people who teach discipline to their players to also exhibit it on the field of play and serve as role models for the younger ones.
The LOC Chairman while announcing that the League will run from now to December, said that winners of the competition will go home with N1 million while the first and second runners- up will get N500,000 and N300,000 respectively.
He also announced that there will be award for the Most Valuable Player, Best Goalkeeper, Highest goal scorer and best behaved team.
Meanwhile in some of the matches played, Olodi All Stars played out a 1-1 draw with Adidas All Stars while Kirikiri All Stars recorded an emphatic 4-2 victory over AJ All Stars.
Also, Amorawa All Stars defeated defeated Christ Assembly All Stars 2-0, Ajegunle All Stars beat Mighty Sparrows 4-2 while Tolu All Stars lost 0-1 to Fire By Force All Stars just as West Minister All Stars defeated Nawura All Stars 2-0.
The next round of matches will take place in two weeks time.
