The city of Gombe, capital of the State was illuminated to high heaven on Sunday as Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Football Tournament ended in Pantami Stadium on Sunday with Mees Palace Academy from Plateau state dispatched IDP team from Borno state 2-0
It’s an Annual event as this year edition of Akinwunmi Charity Mini-Tournament moves up north for the very first time.
Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi, who is the 1st Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation and Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, has been sponsoring a charity mini-tournament for some years now in Lagos State, which has attracted immense media and public attention, as well as unprecedented ecstasy
Souls were lifted as the award of scholarship with different cash prizes went to indigent kids in Gombe as Seyi Akinwunmi Foundation football tournament ended in grand style
The tournament which started on the 18 of September has 8 teams from North-Eastern part of the country grouped into two and the tournament lasted 5 days
While group A comprises Mees Palace from Jos, Plateau State,
GDSS Bachure School, Adamawa, Baban Mutum Primary School, Bauchi and Bidingari Primary School, Yobe
Group B has Central Primary School, Gombe, Almadeena Int’l School, Gombe, Lamurde Primary School, Taraba and Abogu Largema (IDP Team)
Group B:
Talents discovered, destiny received direction and the participating teams show class amongst themselves.
Some of the revelations of the tournament for the are: the youngest captain of the Akinwunmi Foundation Charity Football tournament is John Musa of GDSS Bachure Sch from Adamawa State. He’s an amazing winger neutralized Bidingari Primary School from Yobe State with a goal and assist
Also named as the king of goals is a wizkid forward from Bauchi State, David Mark by name. He has five goals account with the foundation. Another discovery is the hat trick hero, Alkhasim Adamu of Central Primary School, Gombe who scored the first hat trick of the tournament
Handfull of hilarious results were also recorded as Central Primary School from Gombe steam rosed Almedeena Int’l School from Borno 7-1 while Mees Palace Academy Jos nailed Taraba team 6-1
Best player from each team got academic session scholarship from SACF dancing with and appreciating the NFF Vice President for the gesture
Chairman, Youth Football Development of NFF said “Our goal is to provide the perfect platform for the gifted but indigent child to fulfil his dream, through combining good education with a career in sport. The truth is that talents abound in the nooks and crannies of our country. They are waiting to be discovered and nurtured. Most are from poor homes and need support to climb that ladder to get close to their dreams,” said Akinwunmi.
He added “It is designed to aid indigent children and support for ailing ex-international players. Over 200 children have been supported through the Courage Education Foundation, which has chosen the game of football to bring people together and raise funds for the Foundation’s goals.
149 participating kids were given school materials as scholarship grant was paid directly to the schools involved
The winning teams Mees Palace Academy from Jos was handed a sum of N100,000 while the two best players from host Gombe State got scholarship grant of N150,000 each and the best player from each of the other five states in the North East went home with scholarship grant of N150,000 each.
Dignitaries present at the event were the Deputy Governor of the state, His Excellency, Manassa Daniel Jatan (PhD), Gombe F.A Chairman, Salman Yakub, Borno F.A, Babagana Kali, Ekiti state F .A Dr Samson Ayodele, Jigawa F.A Chairman,Sabo Eka, Taraba F.A Chairman,Timothy Henman, Yobe F.A Chairman ,Garba Muhammed, and Adamawa F.A Boss,Alhaji Musa Duhu
