Sports

Football Dev”t: Maiden JOSENIHO Kids Football League kick-Off February 2025 in Abuja

Published

2 years ago

December 2, 2024

Jeph Ajayi

Ten (10) teams in the capital city of Nigeria in Abuja are set to make a statement when JOSENIHO Kids Football League kicks off come first week of February 2025, where children of different age grades will competing for honour and showcase their talents.

A league put in place by a football enthusiast Victor Isereke will sees over 500 kids competing in different age grades categories.

The category includes, Age 1-8, under 10, under 12 and under 14 where 10 teams from nooks and crannies of FCT is expected to register 15 players for the league.

However, after the competition players all the participating kids will smile home with football gifts like uniform, kits ball amongst others.

While the 1st price winner will pocket 1 million naira, second position #500.000, third position #350,000.

While speaking the sponsor of the Joseniho kids football leagues Victor Isereke the aim is to provide templates for the kits to complete and showcase their God’s given talent.

According to him, I am football enthusiastic, I have three boys who are footballers, and I have seen people organizing this kind of tournament in Abuja before, I was not impressed with some aspect, I felt I should come up with my own and correct those areas that were not satisfactory.

“The aim is to provide the kids with that template to compete, there are a lot of football academy in Abuja but many kids still don’t have the opportunity to compete to put the things they are learning to practical use so, I felt it’s an opportunity to provide the template for the kids to play with one another.

When asked if league is going to be every year or one of one Mr Isekere replied: “It’s going to be the first but not the last, I am passionate about it, that is why we are giving our best to ensure their continuity, I have friend associate that are willing to partner to set the foundation right for this tournament.”

In his remarked, the Chairman LOC Organizing committee Dayo Faleyimu expressed that the league will be one of the best in the country.

“We are expecting 10 teams for now we have 7 teams registered because we are not to just registering a team we want the best team to be part of this because all we want is the best.”

Talking about age falsification, LOC chairman said that the organizer will make use of Original certificate of birth, International passport NiN among others to ensure there is no issue of age cheat in the competition.

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Sports

Flamingos’ Historic World Cup Feat Draws Musawa’s Commendation

Published

7 hours ago

November 8, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has congratulated Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat to claim Nigeria’s first title in the competition and make history as the first African nation to win the tournament.

Awawu Bashiru gave Nigeria the lead in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku extended the advantage two minutes after the restart. Japan’s Fuki Ito reduced the deficit in the 80th minute, but the Nigerian girls held on to secure a memorable victory.

In a congratulatory message was signed by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Nneka Ikem Anibeze on Sunday in Abuja, Musawa described the achievement as a defining moment for Nigeria and a significant milestone for African women’s football, attributing the success to the team’s resilience, talent and determination.

“This is more than a trophy. It is a story of young Nigerian girls who refused to give up, who rose after defeat, and who carried the hopes of a continent to the top of the world,” she said.

The Minister noted that the Flamingos had broken new ground by becoming the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Nigeria also became the first African country to win both the men’s and women’s U-17 World Cup titles.

The team further achieved another remarkable feat by becoming the first side in the competition’s history to lose its opening match and eventually emerge champions.

Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Poland in their opening group-stage encounter, the Flamingos recovered impressively, recording six consecutive victories to lift the trophy.

Musawa particularly praised Umejiaku, who claimed the tournament’s Golden Ball award as the best player, and Bashiru for their crucial contributions in the final.

She also commended the entire squad for their discipline, teamwork and determination throughout the competition.

According to her, the victory demonstrates the creativity, courage and excellence of Nigerian youths on the global stage.

The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to celebrating and promoting the achievements and inspiring stories of young Nigerians who continue to bring honour to the country.

“Our girls have shown the world what Nigeria is made of. We celebrate you today, and we will continue to stand with you,” she added.

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