As officials, members and fans of Island All Stars Sports Club (IASC) continue taking stock, after the completion of this year’s Achievers Cup, the group’s Assistant Trainer , Ofoje Ezeoke has reeled out several benefits of the leisure competition.
He stated in a chat with sports247.ng that the competition, which ended on Saturday with Team T.Gold emerging overall winners, helps former footballers and middle-aged people maintain their fitness levels.
He added that the competition, which was sponsored by Providus Bank, also serves various purposes in recreation, bonding, financial gains and producing auxiliary coaches.
Ezeoke expatiated: “Football has a routine of how you prepare yourself and how you start at the beginning. “It’s good to start early and keep maintaining your fitness.
“In the case of what we call All-Stars, they are retired footballers and people who know how to play football but are now too old to play as professionals.
“They all key into this group, and we train them. So, they are encouraged by the little fitness and few lessons we give them.
“Even if they don’t know the full routine, they will look at other people doing it and be able to cope with the system.”
He went on to reveal the atmosphere of friendship and togetherness that fills each of the club’s activities, then explained how various teams were created for their annual football competition.
Ezeoke continued, “It’s one family. All the teams in the competition are from one family and they belong to a great club.
“After all exercises, friendly matches, tournaments and everything, we have this in-house competition to end the year.
“To play this competition, we share ourselves into six teams, each with their own different sponsors.
“They will equip themselves, make their own plans and create strategies outside what we have taught them.
“They will choose coaches from wherever they can and whosever knows about football can also stand in as a coach.
“If you win, you could become a great coach, even without going to a school for coaching.”
The IASC technical director then concluded with his overall analysis of Achievers Cup 2024, which he opined turned out to be very successful and highly competitive.
“The standard of this year’s competition was high, especially the final.
“The two teams were equally matched. The team that lost their first match of the competition by 3-0 eventually won the cup.
“This shows that you can’t predict football,” Ezeoke submitted.
