Kunle ADELABU
-Beat LASPOTECH All Stars 4 – 1,
– Hon. Benson, soccer family honour former Stationery Stores FC player at 70
Ikorodu All Stars Football Club have emerged champions of the second edition of the All Stars Easter Fiesta Soccer Championship organized by Ikorodu Division Football Association (IDFA).
The team walloped their opponents from the Lagos Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) 4 goals to 1.
Both teams played in the 3rd Place match of the inaugural edition in 2017 which was won by the LASPOTECH team via penalty shootouts.
In the match which was played on the lurch green turf of the Strong Tower Academy, Oke Ota-Ona, Ikorodu, on Sunday, April 2, 2018, the experienced Ikorodu All Stars players handled their young opponents, who were full of energy, skills and talents, with caution and experience to emerge victorious.
The LASPOTECH team dominated the first half of the match and recorded several goal attempts which they were unable to convert while Ikorodu All Stars had their first goal in the 22nd minute of the first half through Okoi James ( in jersey no 3).
However, Femi ( in jersey no 8) equalized for the LASPOTECH All Stars team in the 32nd minute of the first half.
Though, the early stage of the second half was balanced between the two teams, Ikorodu All Stars players made more incursion into the LASPOTECH goal area and this paid off in the 14th minute when the former NEPA FC midfielder, Nduma Agwu (in jersey no10), connected an area ball with a powerful flick header which the opposition goalkeeper was unable to see until it got into the back of the net.
Rasaq Bello (in jersey no 20) in the 29th minute of the second half converted a spot kick for Ikorodu team after an unfriendly tackle by a LASPOTECH defender which the centre referee, Kabir Oluwatobi Baoku, frowned at. The goal put the Ikorodu team in control the match.
The fourth goal which finally nailed LASPOTECH All Stars came in the 33rd minute of the second half when Ikorodu All Stars player, Nicholas Ezekwelle (in jersey no14) converted a scoring chance which elicited wild jubilation across the field except at the LASPOTECH’s corner which was enveloped with a deafening silence.
Meanwhile, Adamo All Stars FC defeated Ikorodu West All stars team by a lone goal in the third place match played earlier on Sunday.The match was officiated by a youthful Premier League Referee, Sodiq Sonibare.
A total of 6 teams participated in this year’s Easter Championship while a total of 7 matches was played.
During the final match, the soccer family celebrated an ageless veteran of the round leather game who was a former player of the defunct Stationery Stores FC of Lagos, Pa Billy Tally, popularly called, “Yam’, who was celebrating his 70th birthday.
Also celebrated was a veteran goalkeeper during the golden era, of the Nigerian league, Rigogo, who clocked 73 recently.He was included in the reserved team of Ikorodu All Stars team as a mark of honour.
Both Hon. Babajimi Benson, member, Federal House of Representatives and Mr Toyin Gafar Bolowotan spoke glowingly about the two septuagenarians who are incredibly still very active on the field of play.
Mr Lanre Olabinjo, a player of the Ikorodu All Stars and leader of the Onyabo Vigilance Group, won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the championship, while Ijede All Stars team won the award for the Most Disciplined Team of the tournament.
The gold-plated cup for the winners of the championship was donated by Otunba Debo Ogunade, Chief Executive Officer of the Pro-League team, Destiny United FC of Ikorodu.
Other dignitaries at the final match event were Prince Hakeem Olukunga, Member of the Governing Board, Lagos State Sports Commission, Alhaji Saheed Kola Akinsanya, a Sports Administrator, Alhaji Bisiriyu Dagama, a former international footballer, and Mr Bayo Oteju, a Senior Legislative Aide to Hon. Benson among others.
