NYG 2023: Team Lagos scores brace in Football gold medal chase

Posted : 30 September 2023

Lagos State has emerged champions of the football event of the 2023 National Youth Games after winning the final matches of the boys and girls categories at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.

Team Lagos Girls in a most fascinating game mauled Team Ogun 5-0 in a one-sided South-West derby to claim the gold.

Team Lagos highest goal scorer, Peace Effiong weighed in with a brace, opening the floodgate of goals in 25 minutes and doubled the lead in 35 minutes while Kemi Adegbuyi made it 3-0 two minutes later.

Team Ogun scored an own goal in 42 minutes while Rodiat Yusuf found the net in 45 minutes to round off the first-half annihilation.

The euphoria that greeted the memorable victory had barely died down when the boys took to the pitch and edged Plateau United 2-1, making it a golden brace for the Centre of Excellence.

After smashing Kaduna 5-0 in the semi-final on Thursday, Adeshina Yusuf’s charges were expected to blow their opponents away in a similar fashion, but it turned out to be a keenly contested affair.

Lagos were all gun-blazing from the start and deservedly took the lead in the second minute through their top scorer, Fawas Salami. Semilore Adewusi, who was also among the goal scorers in Thursday’s rout of Kaduna State, made it 2-0 in 27 minutes before Plateau State pulled a goal back.

In a post-match interview, the technical director of the Lagos State Football Association, Tajudeen Disu, who couldn’t contain his joy, attributed the victories to the concerted efforts of the coaches and members of the Fouad Oki-led Lagos State Football Association Board.

He said, “I am happy and delighted. Players on both teams were determined to go all the way, and they gave their all to achieve the desired results.

“I heartily congratulate them for a job well done. I salute their industry and adherence to the coaches’ instructions.

“Inasmuch as we accomplished our mission in Asaba, it is not the end, because the development of the players is a continuous process that will not end with winning gold at the National Youth Games. The players will be involved in several tournaments as they move up the ladder of the profession until they are full-fledged.

“As I said earlier, this is teamwork; everyone at LSFA contributed 200% to achieving these feats.

``That we won in both categories among 37 participating states shows that we are making deliberate efforts to improve the game at the grassroots level, which is the best way to ensure continual development.

“This couldn’t have happened without the able leadership of the chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, Mr. Fouad Oki and the vice chairman, Liameed Gafar.

``Kudos also goes to our head coach, Adeshina Yusuf, and his assistants, Hamidi Sulaimon and Olowu Olayinka.

“The coaches are doing excellently and deserve a lot of commendations because it takes playing the role of a father to make children of that age bracket perform optimally and consistently.

“Our objective is to make Lagos the hub of Nigerian football, as it was in our time when players from Lagos formed a larger percentage of all age-grade national teams. It’s been a long time since Lagos last showed this level of dominance in national grassroots football events.

``So, with this achievement, we can say Nigerian football is returning home,'' he said.

NYG 2023: Team Lagos scores brace in Football gold medal chase

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