Sports

Mobolaji Johnson Arena Buzzes with Excitement as N-Youth League Super 8 Tips Off

Published

10 hours ago

June 17, 2025

…N40million for Grabs

By Joel Ajayi

The historic Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos is set to witness top-tier youth football action as the Nigeria Youth League Cup (NYLC) Super 8 Tournament kicks off on Monday, June 23, 2025.
The highly anticipated competition will open with a thrilling fixture between Enyimba FC U-19 of Aba and Kwara United U-19, followed by a clash between Plateau United U-19 and Kano Pillars U-19 in the second match of Day 1.

Other teams vying for glory in the Super 8 are Mailantarki FC of Abuja, Sunshine Stars FC of Akure, Atlantic Business FC of Lagos, and Shuffle Select FC, also of Lagos.

This prestigious youth tournament boasts a total prize pool of ₦40 million. The champion will walk away with ₦10 million, the runner-up will earn ₦8 million, while the remaining teams will also receive financial rewards based on their final standings.

The NYLC, which began its inaugural season in April 2024, featured 23 teams split across two regional conferences. From the Northern Conference, Plateau United, Kano Pillars, Kwara United, and Mailantarki FC secured their spots in the Super 8, while Enyimba, Sunshine Stars, Atlantic Business, and Shuffle Select qualified from the Southern Conference.

During a press conference and draw ceremony ahead of the competition on Tuesday in Abuja NYLC President Robinson Adakosa announced that the Super 8 will adopt a round-robin format, featuring four matches daily at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

Adakosa praised the dedication of all involved, noting that despite the challenges encountered during the season, the league has succeeded in identifying and nurturing exceptional young talents.

“This season has not only revealed outstanding players but has also drawn the attention of European scouts,” he stated, adding that the league remains committed to creating pathways for youth development in football.

He expressed gratitude to the participating clubs, board members, and stakeholders, including the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), for their unwavering support.

Adakosa also confirmed that all logistics for the tournament have been fully arranged to ensure a smooth and memorable experience for players and fans alike, with matches scheduled from June 23 to June 30.

In a major boost to the tournament’s profile, Adakosa revealed that FC Barcelona’s Head of Recruitment, Villa Gorriz, will be attending, alongside scouts from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands—underscoring the growing international interest in Nigeria’s grassroots football talent.

With excitement building, the NYLC Super 8 promises a week of explosive action, skillful displays, and future stars in the making.

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Sports

Nigeria Flag National Team heads for historic African Championship in Egypt

Published

4 hours ago

June 17, 2025

The Gleamer

….Unveils its competition apparel to the National Sports Commission

Joel Ajayi

The Nigerian American Football Association ( NAFA ) has unveiled its competition apparel to the National Sports Commission, NSC, as it gets set to depart for the inaugural IFAF Africa Flag Football continental Games in Egypt billed for the 20-21 of June 2025.

In a brief but significant ceremony, the President of NAFA, Babajide Akeredolu, unveiled the jerseys the team will be using in Egypt to the Director General of the NSC, Hon Bukola Olopade on Tuesday, as the DG charged the team to do the country proud and return with flying colours.

“On this trip to Egypt I wish you guys well and I am more encouraged that you guys are very confident that our women team will win Gold. I am also very fascinated that you are taking U13 to this tournament.It’s inline with the Commission’s renewed hope vision to also start building for the future”.

“I must also thank you and your team for the kind of aggressive publicity and glamour you are creating around flag football in Nigeria and I believe there is a realistic possibility of a synergy being created that will glue NAFA and Showtimes together in order to have a robust league round the country.If this can eventually happen and you guys come together, this Sport will take Nigeria by storm, I have no doubt”, he concluded.

President and founder of NAFA, Babajide Akeredolu explained the significance of the tournament and the readiness of the Nigerian team to make history in Egypt.

” Since flag Sports became an Olympic Sport, there was a strong push to have a continental games so that Africa is better represented on the global stage.All African countries then came together with interface with the global body and now we have our first African games”.

” We came here to unveil our jersey to the DG and tell him that we are fielding three teams for the competition- the main team which has been in camp for two months now, a female team and an U13 team”.

He added that ” We are quite optimistic and we believe that with the support and activities of many leagues in Nigeria like the Abuja Flag football league, the showtime, the Community flag football league and the Ogun flag football league, we have a lot of players that can give us a formidable National team”.

Nigeria is billed to compete alongside traditional Sporting countries like Morocco,Tunisia, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana Uganda and host country Egypt, when the tournament holds this weekend.

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