NPFL/La Liga U15 champions Remo Stars were crowned winners of the one week soccer fiesta after they pipped their Osun State counterparts 1-0 to lift the title last weekend in Osogbo.

Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Secretary General Dr Tijani Yusuf who was among top Nigerian football egg-heads that graced the grand finale couldn’t hide his delight as he showered praises on Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi (Lagos); Otunba Sunday Dele-Ajayi (Ondo), Bayo Olanlege (Ekiti), Gani Majekodunmi (Ogun), James Adeniran (Oyo) and Alhaji Mustapha Abulrasaq (Osun) for the initiative and deeming it right to immortalize the late Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi.

“The Western Nigeria Football Forum deserves all the accolades for immortalising Taiwo Ogunjobi with a youth tournament.

“You can’t talk about the sucesses Nigeria has recorded in the beautiful round leather game without giving credit to Ogunjobi.

“He had passion for football development at all levels and he dedicated his life to it as a former player with IICC Shooting Stars, Green Eagles (now Super Eagles) and as an administrator in the capacity as a Board Member with Shooting Stars, Club Chairman (Prime FC now Osun United) and as former Secretary General of NFA.

“Ogunjobi may be gone but he remains forever in our hearts as his legacies lives on. So no better way to honour him than to host this kind of befitting tournament in his name.

“I want to use this platform to asking that other zones should emulate the South West. We will share the story out as one of the post event stories.”

The Taiwo Ogunjobi Memorial Under-15 Tournament and Awards also had in attendance two other former Secretary Generals of the NFF, Dr Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Fanny Amun, President of Nigeria Referees Association, Tade Azeez, two former Shooting Stars legends who played with late Ogunjobi both at club and national levels, Felix Owolabi and Idowu Otunbusi.

Former Super Eagles and Shooting Stars legend, Mutiu Adepoju likewise President General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club worldwide, Dr Rafiu Ladipo and son of the deceased football administrator, Lanre Ogunjobi.

After the qualification of Team Osun; Team Oyo, Team Lagos and NPFL/LaLiga champions Remo Stars to the semi-finals on Friday, organizers of the Ogunjobi U15 Memorial Cup have released the last four pairings.

With both Oyo U15 and Osun U15 sealing their semi-final spot on Thursday, the onus was on Remo Stars and Lagos U15 team to get at least a point from their Matchday 3 fixtures, having recorded 4points and 3points respectively after the conclusion of Matchday 2 fixtures.

That they did at the Sports Complex Ataoja School Of Science in Osogbo, as Remo Stars and Osun U15 played out a 1-1 draw to go second in Group B with 5pionts while Osun maintained the top spot with 7points after two wins and a draw.

With Oyo U15 already leaders of Group A with 6points from two matches, Lagos and Ekiti had to slug it out in the final Group A game for who joins Oyo in the semis.

The soak tensed game between both teams lived up to the hype as it ended 1-1, thus saw the Eko Boys qualifying on superior goal difference ahead their counterparts Ekiti Bees as both teams were levelled on 4points.

It’s a tough semi-final pairings as high flying Oyo State who were handed a reality check after they lost their last group game by a lone goal to Kwara U15 team, will sqaure up against NPFL/LaLiga champions Remo Stars for a spot in the final while Osun U15 team will hope to contain the fire power of Lagos U15 team who scored five goals in the group stage.

Meanwhil, a total of 18 goals were scored in the group phase of the Ogunjobi U15 Memorial Cup as all teams recorded at least a point.

MatchDay 3 Results

Osun State 1-1 Remo Stars
Ekiti State 1-1 Lagos State
Oyo State 0-1 Kwara State
Ogun State 0-1 Ondo State

SEMI FINAL PAIRINGS

Team Oyo vs Remo Stars – 3pm

Team Osun vs Team Lagos – 4pm

#OgunjobiMemorialCup22

NPFL/LaLiga U15 champions Remo Stars and U15 teams of Oyo, Osun and Ekiti got their first 3points on Matchday 1 of the maiden edition of the Taiwo Ogunjobi U15 Memorial Cup.

The opening fixture of the one-week long soccer fiesta at the Sports Complex Ataoja School Of Science in Osogbo, lived up to its hype after Oyo U15 got the better off their bitter rivals Lagos with a 2-1 scoreline.

It took Oyo State 16 minutes to break the resilience of Lagos State defence as Maruf Umar made history as he became the first goal scorer of the when he scored from a stunning strike to give his team the lead.

With Oyo State going into the break of half-time with a comfortable lead, the onus was on Lagos State to find the equalizing goal in the 2nd half.

That was not to be; as two minutes into the 2nd half, Shittu Fawaz pounced on lose ball from a poor defending to double the lead for Oyo State.

Francis Ajibola then gave Lagos State a lifeline after he reduced the tally from a goalmouth scramble in the 51st minute.

In the opening fixtures of Group B, 10 man Team Osun defeated their Ondo State counterpart thanks to Jimoh Kamaldeen’s 49th minute strike.

Team Osun were reduced to 10 players after Ossai Alex picked his second booking of the match for a late tackle on Oluwole Kehinde, and was sent off.

In the Ogun Derby, Remo Stars claimed the bragging rights after they beat Ogun State U15 team 2-0.

The young Sky Blue Stars scored in both halves, and took the lead through Wahab Hassan in the 23rd minute and missed a spot kick a minute after. Thirty minutes later, the NPFL/LaLiga champions then put the icing on the cake after Wahab Hassan scored the winner from close range.

In the last game of the Matchday One, Ekiti State pipped Kwara State in a keenly contested match, as Pelumi Agbegunde jabs home a well tailored cross to earn a valuable 3 points.

MatchDay One Results

Group A
Oyo State 2-1 Lagos State
Kwara State 0-1 Ekiti State

Group B
Osun State 1-0 Ondo State
Remo Stars 2-0 Ogun State

MatchDay 2 Fixtures (Thursday Aug 18)

Ondo State vs Remo Stars – 10:00 AM
Lagos State vs Kwara State – 11:00 AM
Ekiti State vs Oyo State -12:00 PM
Ogun State vs Osun State – 1:00 PM

VENUE: Sports Complex Ataoja School Of Science, Osogbo

OgunjobiMemorialCup22