Sponsor, Organiser Reiterate Commitment To U-13 JOF Football Championship

Sponsors and organisers of the annual U-13 JOF Football Championship are excited with the mileage the grassroots soccer competition has been receiving since it started three years ago.

The sponsor, JOF Nigeria Limited and the organiser, Lagos State Grassroots Soccer Association believe with the abundant talents that Nigeria can boast of, a tournament like the U-13 JOF Football Championship has gone a long way to promote the development of the round leather game at the grassroots and also help discover young and budding players in Lagos State.

The competition reaches its third edition this year with the final scheduled for the Campos Mini Stadium on Lagos Island on 1 May 2022.

"We want to congratulate all the footballers, their coaches, managers, parents and supporters for being part of this tournament.  At the ages of these young footballers, parents should be conscious of the fact that outdoor sporting activities should always be considered as an integral part of their leadership development s, apart from the big opportunity to becoming an international soccer Professionals one day," said Mr. Adeyinka Adetunji, Director, Strategic Support Services, Jof Nigeria Limited during the media briefing for the 2022 U-13 JOF Cup.

He assures that the company would continue to support and encourage as well as showcase any constructive youth event in Nigeria.

He announced that the winners of the 3rd edition will smile home with the sun of N350,000 with the second, third and fourth positions getting the sum of N250,000, N200,000 and N150,000 respectively.

Adetunji commented the support has received from corporate organisations which have identified with the tourney with their products which include Milo, Maltina, Mabisco Biscuits, Indomie Noddles, JOF Salt, Bold drink Custodian Insurance among others.

To the Lagos State Football Association headed by Rev. Paul Freeman, the U-13 JOF Cup " has gone a long way at motivating the youths, fostering unity and promoting healthy rivalry among the teams and spectators. It has also gone a long way in keeping the children off the streets and away from acts of perpetual youthful exuberant."

Meanwhile, the tournament, which kicked off in March this year with 32 teams enters its quarter-final stage on Friday, 22 April with eight matches taking place at two centres.

At St. Mary Primary School, Lekki, Loko Babes, Yaba and Ultimate Villa, Ikorodu will fight for a semi-final ticket in the first match of the day while Bellets Babes of Badagry will play Paul Boys of Aboru in the second. game.

The semi-final games will be played on Sunday 24 April at the White sand playground, Orile and St. Mary Primary School, Lekki.