Sports
BSFA Chairman Rewards Victorious Lobi U-19 Team with ₦700,000 Cash Gift
The Chairman of Benue State Football Association (BSFA), Chief Dr. Paul Edeh Esq, has rewarded Lobi Stars U-19 team who finished tops at the just concluded U19 tournament in Abia State.
The Lobi Stars young team who represented Benue State leapfrogged their counterparts from Abia, Enugu, Rivers States to place best in their group.
Thereafter, they qualified for the Super 6 expected to be staged in Benue State in days ahead.
Announcing the cash rewards, Chief Edeh immediately gave the players N500, 000, while their coaches got N200, 000.
While eulogisiing the team, the Benue FA Chairman who is known for his philanthropic gestures and football administrator par excellence said, “Moving forward, the efforts that the board of the Benue Football Association has made is to ensure that we pay particular attention to the coaches especially, those that serve within the academy level.
“Having said that, let me acknowledge that it’s the efforts of these academies and coaches that gave Lobi Stars these set of young lads that went to Abia and topped their group and qualified for the Super 6 .
“Every boy who is here was discovered from an academy, either in Markurdi or Oturkpo or across the state.”
Chief Edeh urged the academies to always make their players available to Lobi Stars even at the senior team level, just as he charged the club’s management to reciprocate with necessary payments to the players and academies.
On his part, the Chairman of Lobi Stars FC, Dr. Philip Nongu, who doubles as the Acting Commissioner, Benue State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Creativity, assured of willingness to keep their own side of the bargain while appealing for cooperation by the academies.
Recalling how the U-19 team was formed, Dr. Nongu said, “When we got request for that championship, it was four days to the commencement and I told the coaches, can they please release their players so that they will represent the state at Umuahia and they said yes.
“And they went and made us proud, because of their determination and discipline, we’re proud of them.”
He appealed for all in Benue State and beyond to rally round Lobi Stars as they rebuild to relaunch at the zenith level, adding, “Lobi Stars belongs to the whole State. It doesn’t belong to Philip Nongu. The team belongs to the whole state so, please let us join hands, now that we’re starting afresh and the sky is not the limit for Lobi Stars football club by the grace of God.”
Sports
FCT FA Board Member Urges Grassroots Reform, Hopeful For Super Eagles World Cup Qualification
Legal Practitioner And Administrator Barr Bucknor Threatens To Petition FCT Minister Over Abandoned Stadiums
Despite Nigeria’s precarious position in the race for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Barrister Babatunde Burknor, a board member of the FCT Football Association (FA), remains hopeful that the Super Eagles can still secure qualification.
Nigeria currently sits third in their qualification group with 11 points from 8 matches, trailing Benin Republic and South Africa, who both lead with 14 points. Yet Burknor, a seasoned football administrator and grassroots sports advocate, believes all is not lost.
In a recent interview made available to BSN Sports, Burknor said: “Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may appear almost impossible, but that doesn’t mean it is out of reach. The situation is tough, yes, but looking at the quality of players in our squad, I still believe we can make it.”
He added that unexpected results from other group rivals could work in Nigeria’s favour.
“Football is unpredictable. There is still a chance that South Africa, Benin Republic, or Rwanda could drop points. If we win our remaining two games, we still stand a chance. Sometimes football reflects life where the strong may fall while the seemingly weak stand tall.”
Calls for Grassroots Reform in the FCT
Beyond national team concerns, Burknor also used the opportunity to address the state of sports development in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), urging the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to take concrete action to revamp local infrastructure.
“We have deep-rooted problems when it comes to grassroots sports. The major issue is a lack of funding and commitment from those charged with driving development at that level,” he said.
Burknor lamented the disappearance of once-thriving youth competitions like the Chairman’s Cup, Principal’s Cup, and Shell Cup, stating that such events played a crucial role in identifying and nurturing young talent.
“It’s disheartening that these programs are no longer active. Development is impossible without facilities, yet we lack even basic training grounds.”
The legal luminary revealed that he personally upgraded the sports facility at a government secondary school in his area to serve as a makeshift training centre, due to the absence of a functioning local stadium.
He is currently drafting a petition to Minister Wike, over abandoned stadiums in FCT, urging a comprehensive audit of officials responsible for sports development across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Progress in Gwagwalada Football Development
As Vice Chairman of the Gwagwalada Football Council, Burknor highlighted the success of the Gwagwalada Football League, which has become a model for other Area Councils.
“In just two years, we’ve turned the Gwagwalada Football League into a success story. Several players from the league have already secured contracts in Europe. This shows what can be achieved with vision and consistency.”
Barrister Burknor, emphasized that grassroots football holds the key to Nigeria’s long-term football success and must be taken seriously.
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