Ogunjobi Ayodeji, an aspirant vying for a position into the Executive Board of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF), says it was time for the youths in Nigeria to be in football administration.

Ayodeji is the eldest son of late former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) now Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) talked about his plans during the Optima Energy Gold Cup tournament in Ikenne and Sagamu.

According to him: “I’ve been involved in sports administration and organizing tournaments. After working with the Nigerian government at two different events and for CAF and FIFA, I did identify the issues and problems the beautiful game is facing in the country.

“I thought it was time to get the youths involved in Nigeria’s football administration.”

“The tenacity will definitely be different. In the brand scheme of things, the young age are the ones sent out to source for the market and get sponsorship. A lot of brands relate with the younger market, that’s one side.

“Apart from breeding players football development transcend to management.

“If you can start grooming managers, that is football administrators, then you can tell the future is good. Not that you wake up when you’re in your fifties and you decide that you want to be on the board.”

Elections into the NFF Executive Board has been riddled with an impending court order, after Honourable Justice I.E Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja on the 15th day of September 2022, put a stop to the election pending the hearing of the substantive suit.

But on Thursday, a Court of Appeal seating in Abuja gave the NFF the green light to hold its 78th Annual General Assembly and elections of a new Executive Committee to steer the affairs of the nation’s apex football –ruling body for the next four years

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 1st Vice President Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi has assured that the Ogunjobi Football House will be completed soon.

The project which started in 2018 was among the football houses built by the Amaju Malvin Pinnick led NFF Board.

Akinwunmi, the Lagos State Football Association boss and other Southwest State Football Associations chairmen of Otunba Sunday Dele-Ajayi (Ondo), Bayo Olanlege (Ekiti), Gani Majekodunmi (Ogun), James Adeniran (Oyo) and Alhaji Mustapha Abulrasaq (Osun) came under the agies of the Western Nigeria Football Forum (WNFF) to host the maiden Taiwo Ogunjobi Memorial Under-15 Tournament.

Speaking during the award night of WNFF/Taiwo Ogunjobi U-15 Tourney in Osogbo last weekend, Akinwunmi said: “Apart from honouring Taiwo Ogunjobi, we will also help the host Football Association, Osun, complete the Ogunjobi Football House.

“We have raised some money from among ourselves, but we are also looking for help to complete the Ogunjobi Football house project which houses the Osun FA.

“We hope that next year, we will take the project to another state, which will benefit from the programme until all the states have their own football houses.”

Meanwhile NPFL/La Liga U15 champions Remo Stars were crowned winners of the Ogunjobi Memorial Under-15 Tourney after they pipped Osun State counterparts 1-0 to lift the title.

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

The groupings and fixtures for the maiden edition of the Western Nigeria Football Forum/Late Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi Memorial U-15 Football Tournament and Award ceremony have been released by the organizers.

A two group A and B with four teams and fixtures were unveiled by the organizers with interesting opening day matches that will herald the Wednesday kick-off date of the one-week soccer fiesta.

The two groups consist of tough teams with interesting fixtures, as old rivalries will be renewed during the tournament.

Group A is made up of U15 teams of Oyo, Lagos, Kwara and Ekiti while NPFL/La Liga U15 national championships; Remo Stars U15 will be slugging it out against Osun, Ondo and Ogun in Group B.

The format will see the eight (8) teams play 12 group stage matches; three each for a team, with each group leader and second placed team advancing to the semi-finals.

Winners of Group A and B will take on Runners-Ups of B and A respectively for a place in the grand finale.

Oyo State versus Lagos State will renew their rivalry with the first match of the tourney fixed for 10 am at the NYSC Orientation Camp Pitch in Ede.

Next will be Osun versus Ondo, two hours later. The stage will be set at 2pm as it’s an Ogun Derby, will Remo Stars squaring things up with the Ogun State U15 team.

The last game of the day will be between Kwara State and Ekiti Bees at 4 pm.

The State of Osun will bubble with the best of football artistry as the debut edition of Western Nigeria Football Forum/Ogunjobi Memorial U-15 Football Tournament kicks off from 16th -21st August in Osogbo.

In an official statement signed by the Co-Chairmen for the event, Otunba Dele Ajayi and Otunba Tade Azeez, informed that over 180 kids drawn across Nigeria and are players of the eight teams will slug it out for individual honours and the most prized trophy.

NPFL/La Liga Football Tournament champions Remo Stars FC (U-15), Katsina United FC (U15), who were 2nd runners-up, alongside U15 teams of the Football Associations of the South West States are to thrill fans in the week long soccer fiesta.

The teams and officials are to camp at the Ede, Orientation Camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Meanwhile, the Honourable Minister for Youths and Sports Development, Hon. Sunday Dare and nine others have been listed for an Award of Excellence by the organizers of the tourney.

The Honourable Minister, Hon. Kunle Soname; the Chairman of KC Gamings Limited and President of Remo Stars FC, Ikenne Remo, Chief Adebutu Kessington, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, Chief Segun Odegbami, His Excellency Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, Mr Yemi Idowu, former member House of Representatives, Honourable Ayo Omidiran, Princess Bola Jegede and Dr Rafiu Ladipo are recipients for the awards, for their selfless service to the development of the beautiful game in the South West.

The Main Organising Committee (MOC) of the Late Taiwo Ogunjobi Memorial U-15 Football Competition has been inaugurated by the 1st Vice President Nigeria Football Federation and the Coordinator of the South West Zone, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi with a charge to organise a first of its kind, world class Youth Football Competition and Awards Night.

Akinwunmi, who is also the Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association admonished the committee led by Otunba Tade Azeez and Otunba Dele Ajayi as Co Chairmen to deliver on the task of not only delivering a world class event but ensuring that it was of a standard worthy of the name and legacy of late Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi.

While inaugurating the committee, Akinwunmi expressed his absolute confidence in the MOC members and reiterated that the motive behind the organisation of the Football competition and Awards Night was to honour the memory of late Ogunjobi who was a player, a team administrator, an FA Chairman, the Secretary General of NFF and up till the time of his death, a member of Western Nigeria Football Forum, and to immortalize his name in recognition of his contribution to the growth of Football in the South West states and in the country at large.

BSA as he is popularly called said “leadership is about legacy, that is why the competition and awards night is single mindedly centred around football and our desire to immortalize late Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi.

“We therefore expect a world class event that will stand out in the history of Football in our country”.

The event will hold between August 16th and 21st in Osogbo.

Other members of the MOC are ; Oba James Odeniran, Mr Bayo Olanlege, Chief Mustapha Razaq (Chairman,Local Organizing Committee), Mr. Niyi Alebiosu, Mr Dotun Coker, Dr Bayo Oluwatoki, Mr Toyin Ibitoye, Mr.Taiwo Odebunmi, Mr Akintunde Akinsemola and Mr Sola Ogunowo(Secretary).

The competition packaged by the Western Nigeria Football Forum led by the NFF 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwumi will feature 6 teams from Southwest Nigeria – Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states U-15 boys teams and will be played in Osun State.

Meanwhile a 7-man list has been drawn as the Local Organizing Committee of the  competition. 

Osun State FA boss, Chief Razaq Ishola Mustapha will be the Chairman of the committee, Mr. Salami Tunde is the Vice Chairman, other members are Mr. Tunde Shansudeen, Prince Adeogun Isiaka, Mr. Tunde Adebiyi and Hon. Rawlings Oyebayo while Mr. Amoo Abayomi is the secretary.