LDFA/LCM Soccer Cup Will Motivate Pupils To Focus On Sports and Education, Says Prince Oyekan.

One thousand and six hundred pupils from sixteen schools of five local governments will participate in the second edition of the Lagos Channel Management/ Lagos Divisional Football Association Under 13 Soccer tournament tagged Goalz School Event billed for first of October at the Campos Stadium, Lagos Island.


Chairman of the Lagos Divisional Football Association, Prince Ifalade Oyekan, who made the statement while briefing sports jounalists on the competition billed for the first of October, 2012, said the competition which would outlived was geared at creating a platform for the pupils within Lagos Island, Apapa, Eti Osa, Lagos Mainland and Surulere Local Governments to become the future stars of Nigeria since the future of Nigerian football rest on the grassroot football programmes.

 Prince Oyekan, said the association had concluded plans to embark on valuable projects such as Bore - hole and renovation works to the school that eventually win the competiton, believing that the gesture would go a long way to generate healthy rivalry among the participating the schools and it would also encourage many schools to invest on sports with the intension of wining the tourney to enjoy similar projects.

According to him, LDFA/LCM Under 13 Soccer Cup would afford the pupils to gain wealth of experience from former Nigerian football players such as Teslim Fatusi, Bode Babinton, Wasiu Adetoro, Ibeh Johnson among others who would engage them on the need to take to Sports and education, stressing that the move is in line with Governor Babatunde Fashola support for FIFA One Goal project which centre on education and football.

While thanking the sponsor, Lagos Channel Management Limited for extending its Civil Social Responsibility to LDFA despite its numerous humanitarian services to the society,Oyekan, said the association had expanded the scope of the event with the introduction of awards to football players who distinguish themselves in the One day tournament, stressing that the event would enable the pupils to focus on education and sports and also to keep the youths away from social vices.

Prince Oyekan, whose legacy is to bestow on the LDFA with two grassroot football competitions, said plans are in top gear to establish a primary school league for the pupils within the local goverment that under the association's jurisdiction, adding that the tournament could be avenue for the selection of Golden Eaglets players as the LDFA have a data base of all the football players expected to feature in the event.

LCM Head of Operations,Captain Phil Glenton, who believed that the participating schools should focus their wining strategy on team work, said the company which has been in Nigeria for a couple of years supported the LDFA quest to breed dynamic and skillful young football players who in the next ten to fifteen years would be the face of Nigerian football.

Glenton, said hosting the event of Nigeria's Independence day was an indication that the dredging company was in the nation to create an enabling environment for the youths to excel in their chosen professions, adding that the company on yearly supported Orphanages with a minimum of One million naira to each orphanage.