As curtains were drawn on the second edition of the Radio Nigeria Ibadan Kids Football Challenge on Saturday, a talented boy from Ilora in Afijio Local Government area of Oyo State, Obadare Muhammad stole the show as he was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.
Obadare, who played for Community Commercial School Ilora, won #10,000 donated by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Oyo State chapter as prize for the most valuable player of the tournament.
The prize was received by proxy from the Chairman of Oyo SWAN, Mr Niyi Alebiosu at the end of the Competition’s tension soaked final won by Brightville College Ibadan.
In the exciting final game watched by many spectators including the Chairman of the Shooting Stars Sports Club Honourable Babatunde Olaniyan, Brightville College went through hell before they could defeat the eventual runners up Olivet Baptist High School Oyo, who were hard nuts to crack for the champions.
The lads from Oyo town squared up to the Coach Kokumo Kekedo tutored Brightville College and matched them skill for skill and tackle for tackle.
The shot stopper of the Olivet Baptist High School took the shine off the Brightville College Captain, Akinyemi Oladimeji when he saved a penalty kick awarded to the defending Champions and taken by the player fondly called Jorginho.
Despite missing the penalty kick, the Isaac Friday lads were undaunted but keep bombarding the goal area of their opponents from Oyo town.
However, the boys from Oyo Alaafin were up to the task as they warded off the continual attacks from their opponents and launched swift counter attacks to bring out the best of Brightville College goalkeeper, Olasupo Qoyum Alao.
The game was a ding dong affair as neither side was able to slot the ball into back of the net and the game ended goaless at regulation time.
In the resultant penalty shoot out, the Brightville College goalkeeper was put to test and he didn’t disappoint his school mates who continuously hailed him during the penalty shoot out.
Alao saved three of the spot kicks played by his opponents and gave his team a 3-2 victory over hard fighting Olivet Baptist High School Oyo.
The triumph of Brightville College in Saturday’s final played at the Olubadan stadium made the serial winners the back to back Champions of the competition.
The victory for Brightville College boys doubled the celebration of the all conquering secondary school whose girls’ side had earlier in the day similarly emerged Champions of a Six – A – Side Female Competition after beating Bishop Phillips Academy by three goals to one in a penalty shoot out at the play ground of Urban Day Grammar School at Old Ife road in Ibadan.
Earlier in the third place match of the Radio Nigeria Ibadan Kids Football Challenge, Government College Ibadan had an easy ride over Baptist Secondary School Oke Isanmi Oyo as they pummeled their opponents with five goals to grab the bronze.
Two of the goals were scored by Joshua Kilani who was the tormentor – in – chief of the Baptist Secondary School Oke Isanmi, Oyo and the tournament’s highest goal scorer.
Apart from the presentation of trophies to the best three teams of the tournament, cash prizes were also given to the Competition’s highest goal scorer, Joshua Kilani and the Best Keeper of the Tournament, Olasupo Qoyum Alao of Brightville College.
The Radio Nigeria Ibadan Kids Football Challenge which featured boys between the ages of ten and thirteen was put together by Radio Nigeria Ibadan to discover budding talents in Oyo State.
In his appreciation speech, the Zonal Director Radio Nigeria, Ibadan Zonal Station, Mr Dominic Mokikan represented by the Deputy Director Marketing Department of the zone who is also the Chairman of the Competition’s Organising Committee Mr Adewale Afinjuomo thanked the participating schools for their contributions to success of the event.
