According to 36 Lion Adviser, Gafar Olawale Liameed, the nine-time Azerbaijan Premier League champions have invited the player over to Baku.

Oluka was spotted by Neftchi Baku at the recently concluded Jagaban Cup that took place at Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

He was the best midfielder on display at the four-day tournament which had the backing of 36 Lion Investment, Diamond Sports Management and Lagos Enigma.

As you would expect from any young Nigerian prospect, Oluka ranks as one of the highly rated Nigerian midfielders who can boast of an exciting work-rate, supreme technique and passing ability.

He does have the invention, creativity and has been earmarked as a “destroyer” that is, shutting down the opposition’s play in midfield, outside, and just about everywhere.

One trait that sets Oluka apart from his peers is his intelligent movement. On a basic level, he has good pace and acceleration which allows him to provide adequate guard for defenders.

Given his great mobility, he’s not afraid to work and play from the channels.

Oluka’s spatial awareness is good enough that he’s often initiating attacking moves and playing quick combinations. He is expected to impress the coaching staff of Black and Whites.

The two teams tried to cancel out each other before the regulation time but there was nothing to separate them until penalty was used to decide the maiden champions. Smart City proved to more precise in the penalty shootout winning by 5-4.

Earlier, 36 Lion narrowly lost the third place match to Ikorodu City via penalty shootouts too after both teams failed to score any goal during the regulation period.

Despite the heroics of 36 Lion goalkeeper, Samuel Oriola who saved two of Ikorodu City’s spot kicks to take the penalties to sudden death, the latter still triumphed 3-2 after NPFL La Liga U15 Promises graduate Sulaimon Lawal blasted the decisive spot kick beyond the Lions’ goalie’s gaping hands.

The exhibition match between Community Team and Family Team ended 1-1.

It was a fantastic and thrilling end to the first edition of the Jagaban Cup which drew out over 7000 Lagosians to the Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

The tournament was organised to galvanize support for All Progressives Congress Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the frontline candidate for the 2023 Presidential Election and the tournament has delivered on Its promises and even exceeded expectations.

The tournament was packaged by 36 Lion Investment, Diamond Sports Management and Lagos Enigma.

It’s the first edition of the tournament and will be hosted at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan.

In the draw conducted on Tuesday at Lagos SWAN Secretariat, Group A is made up of 36 Lion, Messiah FC, Badagry United, De Potters and MFM FC, while Group B houses Smart City, Olukismet, FC Bethel, Jo Sportyne and Ikorodu City.

36 Lion and Smart City will slug it out in the opening match at Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Tuesday. Kickoff is 7am.

Coordinator of Jagaban Cup, Mr Wale Joseph explained modalities on how the competition will become successful.

He appealed to clubs on the need to embrace fair play and the rules of the game.

Brain behind the tournament, Hajj Olawale Gafar Liameed explained the reason for the competition which is on a No Offside Basis.

“There is no other job as good as football and coaching. This is a scouting tournament that involves Belgium, Czech Republic, Norway and Finland. We will be having minimum of three Europeans for the scouting tournament,” he explained.

“It is called Jagaban Cup because Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our father. He is the renewed hope. It’s time to do for him. That’s why we have the hashtag, let’s do for the doer. The competition will be an annual event. We will take the competition to the next level. We will host the tournament for a long time. It has come to stay. Asiwaju is a leader and he needs our support. In the name of Jagaban Cup, we are here to build future stars.”

“If you want to be a talent developer, you must be an identifier. A good talent doesn’t need too many minutes to be recognized. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the best talent developer. This tournament has come to stay. Thanks for coming, God will give you the strength to identify the best talents. The scouts are decision makers. If a player is good, he will be recommended. We will also have few scouts who represent the NPFL. Our league needs the best on the domestic font. Some players would be selected to beef up the best teams in Nigeria also.

“The best referees would officiate games, so expect fairness. The scouts are the decision makers. Total package is coming to the clubs. The budget for this project is #20m. Already we have spent over #25m. It’s like climbing the Mountain to feed our players. The more reason we broke the bank to fund this project. This is the first time that we are organizing a Scouting Tournament where clubs didn’t pay a dime. FIFA frowns at third party ownership. If a player is selected, we would allow you deal directly with the scout. That’s what we call Total Package. We see Football as Palace and Sky where every bird flies. Every club will deal with scouts directly, we would be there to serve as Supervisors. We won’t collect a dime from your cut. We want the best players to be selected,” he added.

Jagaban Cup is proudly supported by 36 Lion Investment, Diamond Sports Management and The Enigma.

The Full Draws

Group A

36 Lion
Messiah FC
Badagry United
De Potters
MFM FC

Group B
Smart City
Olukismet
FC Bethel
Jo Sportyne
Ikorodu City

“We have picked a strong team that should be able to perform well at the tournament in Lagos,” said Oladeji.

The squad is made up of two goalkeepers, seven defenders, six midfielders and five attackers.

Fapounda Babatunde and Abdul Korede are the two goalkeepers.

Also making the cut are John Fred, Adewale Lawal, Gbenga Afolayan, Elanya Akonunju, Michael Yusuf, Ibrahim Yebiboh and Olorunfemi Sesan

Draws for Jagaban Cup will hold on Monday 14th November at National Stadium Surulere. Time is 2pm.

The Jagaban Cup will hold from November 15th to 18th at Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos.

The squad

Goalkeepers: Fapounda Babatunde, Abdul Korede

Defenders: John Fred, Adewale Lawal, Gbenga Afolayan, Elanya Akonunju, Michael Yusuf, Ibrahim Yebiboh, Olorunfemi Sesan

Midfielders: Francis Uche, Akindoyo Benjamin, Abdulrazaq Ridwan, Adekunle Adebayo, Anuoluwapo Yusuf, Davies Olaide

Forwards: Waku Paul, Aganyebi Kayode, Oyedepo Oyetunji, Owolabi Abdulsalam, Abdulwahab Afeez

The tournament will hold from November 15th to 18th in the commercial city of Lagos.

Organizers have assured of a befitting competition which is aimed at mobilizing support for APC Presidential Flagbearer Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu aka Jagaban.

One of the sponsors of the event, The Enigma are working around the deck with series of activities planned to add colour to the event.

Preparation is in top gear for the kickoff of the Jagaban Cup.

Arrival of the European scouts has been confirmed. It is guaranteed that two of them will arrive in Nigeria on 13th November.

Media parley and draws would hold on 14th November inside the SWAN Hall of the National Stadium Surulere. Time is 3pm.

Five thousand T-Shirts would be distributed for free on the day of the Grand Finale.

Clubs would be divided into two groups of 5 teams each for a round robin style format of 70 minutes per match.

The winner of each group shall meet in the final of 40 minutes per half game (80 minutes).

The runners up of each group shall play 3rd place match of 40 minutes per half.

The project is an initiative of 36 Lion Investment, Diamond Sports and Lagos Enigma.

He was honoured at award ceremony organised by the congress on Thursday 3rd November in Abuja.

Liameed was singled out for the honour due to his numerous grassroots development strides in Nigeria.

Nigeria Youth Congress in conjunction with Nigerian Youth Parliament organized the 2022 African Youth Day Conference at Rotunda Conference Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Alhaji was recognized with African Achiever Award (Best Youth Developer in Sports).

Gafar Liameed is an astute football administrator, brilliant coach, one man who regards Football as his second religion and a staunch youth developer.

He was the only African who, in Rio de Janeiro 2016, groomed and presented three Nigerian Olympians who won bronze in the same Olympic year (Imoh Ezekiel, Junior Ajayi and Sodiq Popo)

He is the first person from Africa who is building a 36 000 square meter football vocational school for youths ages 14 to 21. He is the only club founder who gives his players 18 hours of coaching per week.

Liameed is the only man in Africa who has youth clubs spread across West Africa, a top class scout with an Eagle eye.

A Lion with more than 36 players currently playing professional football in Europe, United Kingdom, United States of America, Asia, The Gulf, South America and North Africa.

An administrator in the world of football who has made investments in a number of young businesses, including Elegbete T.V., Elegbete Radio, Jive Hub Tech, Comepass Prevarsity, etc.

Jagaban Cup was put together to canvass for APC Presidential Flagbearer, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2023 General Elections.

De Potters, FC Bethel, Olukismet, Jo Sportyne and 36 Lion would participate at the tournament.

Others are Smart City, Badagry United, MFM FC, Ikorodu City and Messiah FC.

Competition will hold from November 15th to 18th at Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

Coordinator, Wale Joseph said participants have started preparation and assured Lagosians of a wonderful tournament.

Organizers are targeting at least five thousand youths who will be live at the Grand Finale.

Those five thousand youths will influence another 50 thousand more across various communities in Lagos through grassroot football.

Clubs would be divided into two groups of 5 teams each for a round robin style format of 70 minutes per match.

The winner of each group shall meet in the final of 40 minutes per half game (80 minutes).

The runners up of each group shall play 3rd place match of 40 minutes per half.

The project is an initiative of 36 Lion Investment, Diamond Sports and Lagos Enigma.

Top European scouts from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway and Spain would be on ground to select talented players at the competition.

The Organizing Committee is working assiduously to put all the modalities in place for November 15 when the championship is scheduled to get underway.

Brain behind the tournament, Gafar Liameed, spoke with the Media and assured that his team is working overtime to ensure that fans receive high quality of football.

“At the moment we are deeply engaged in discussions with the relevant stakeholders pertaining to plans for the staging of the event, including our communication with grassroot football clubs, officials and agencies,” he revealed.

The 36 Lion Investment executive further assured that his team is bent on delivering the high quality of entertainment that fans have grown accustomed to receiving.

“Preparations are going well as planned. From the onset, there have been engagements to meet the timelines.”

“The number of days that the competition would take place promises moments of exciting football.”

Gafar Liameed thanked APC Presidential Aspirant Bola Ahmed Tinubu aka Jagaban for his support in ensuring that this year’s event becomes a reality.

“His Excellency Jagaban is a Sports loving man. On behalf of my committee members, I’m using this medium to thank Jagaban for his support.”

The tournament is being organized to raise awareness for APC Aspirant Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has been tipped to win the 2023 Presidential Election.

Tagged “Honk Your Horn, Follow Jagaban To Aso Rock”, venue of the tournament is Mobolaji Johnson Arena.

It is a known fact that sports is a unifying factor in nation building. When its time for sports, people forget difference in class, age, ethnic or religion.

Messages are well received and actions are quickly taken when sports is used as a vessel for its dissemination.

As Nigeria prepares for important moments of her political life, politicians have begin quest to drum support for themselves and there followers are doing same, using sports as means of campaign.

Some are are also doing same as sensitization to obtain and protect their Permanent Voters Card, PVC ahead of the general elections.

One body that is not left out of such is one of the most recognized football teams in Nigeria, 36 Lion of Lagos.

Their President, Hajj Liameed Gaffar has come up with a plan to organize a football tourney tagged Jagaban Cup in a bid to mobilize support for All Progressive Congress, APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Hajj Liameed told onwardnews24.com that arrangements have been made to set up a GIANT banner at the Badagry roundabout in Lagos that will be visible to 300,000 people of Badagry and for millions of travelers along the ECOWAS axis.

According to the Football technocrat, “This is just the beginning of many grassroots awareness we shall be doing for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

“My trade is football. My party is APC. My Governor is Sanwoolu. MY PRESIDENT IS ASIWAJU THE JAGABAN BORGU.

“Please be on the look out also for the Jagaban Cup coming to a stadium near you.

“The awareness is a driving parade at the Badagry axis,” he added.

The ‘Jagaban Cup’ kick-off November 15th.

Ace Sports writer Abayomi Ademetan popularly known as FutbalGalore has teamed up with Alhaji Gafar Liameed’s 36 Lion in a very short ceremony held at the club’s secretariat in Lagos.

Alhaji Gafar is a well known grassroot developer as his team has nurtured so many players from the grassroot to the top of world footballing map.

Top on the list are Junior Ajayi (Smouha), Moses Usor, Peter Olayinka and Yina Sor (Slava Prague), these are players that have excelled in Egypt and Europe respectively.

Speaking shortly after the unveiling, FutbalGalore as Mr Ademetan is widely known disclosed that the opportunity to learn plus the love for young players drew him closer to Hajji Gafar.

“I feel proud and very honored to have been identified with a man that has made men out of young boys,”

“He is one man I called father as he we all know him, he is a promoter of grassroot football.

“We have enough talents in the rural areas and we will need more people in the mould of Hajji Gafar to fish them out.”

“The first agenda for me in peace is to use my role in the media to promote Hajji Gafar and the workings around 36 Lion but first we need to see that Hajji Gafar becomes a board member of the Nigerian Football Federation tomorrow,” He concluded,