Olumide Ajibolade, coach of Beyond Limits, shared his insights after his team emerged as champions at the 19th Lagos Supremacy Cup tournament on Saturday.
Beyond Limits drew 1-1 with Dino SC at full time and secured victory with a 6-5 win on penalties.
On breaking limits and embracing development, Ajibolade began, ” First of all, from the economic standpoint, the essence of the only revenue-generating side of football is player sales in Nigeria at the moment,” he told Sports247.
“We are not heavy on TV revenue and stuff. In many of the clubs and academies, the only way they can keep the lights on is by selling players. You don’t sell players if you don’t bring the people that want to buy the players.”
Ajibolade emphasized the importance of tournaments like the Lagos Supremacy Cup. “So this sort of tournament is integral to the ecosystem, right? It’s the most important part.
You can develop. However, if there is no platform to showcase, then your products will not be seen. So this is the shopping window of the talents that we develop.
We cannot survive without these tournaments. That’s why they continue to be an integral part of the process of football development in Nigeria. It’s very important.”
Addressing the progression of his players, Ajibolade explained, “These guys, many of them were like the under-16s from last year. They were like part of the squad that won everything, but they were not the main players because they were just learning. It’s now that time to come forward and play.”
Ajibolade detailed their structured development approach. “We have a complete team that’s not here. There’s another group, another age, the under-16s now. We are committed from the 15s. And we have a complete structure up to the 9s.
We’re very intentional about what we’re trying to do. That’s why we can sustain our success. We don’t do things by luck or by chance. There must be a process. We’re hoping a lot of people can emulate that.”
On continuous success and improvement he says, “In league football, there is no endpoint. Success is not a destination. It’s a continuum,” Ajibolade stated.
“So we are just making progress, right? You can’t say, oh, I’m now successful. I don’t regard myself as a successful coach. It’s a continuous process.
You start again, you work again. As long as there are players that need to be developed, you keep developing them. There’s no endpoint to it.”
Ajibolade concluded with a focus on limitless potential. “There’s no limit to the success we’re going to have. There’s no limit to the tournaments we want to win. There’s no limit to the players we produce. There’s absolutely no limit.”
When asked about his recognition, Ajibolade humbly responded, “I don’t think I’m celebrated. My wife is my biggest fan. I think that’s the most important thing.
The rest of it is just people appreciating the work. But of course, with your success, they will come. It’s either they love us or they hate us. It’s what life is.”
Ajibolade stressed the broader impact of his work. “But we will just keep doing what we’re doing. Helping the young ones to be better.
Helping families that are connected to these to have a chance in this harsh economy. Ultimately, our goal is bigger than the matches. So we just stay focused.”
This victory and Ajibolade’s approach highlight the essential role of structured development and opportunities in Nigerian football. Beyond Limits continues to break barriers and set new standards in the sport.
