Izuchukwu Okosi
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, have made monetary pledges to the national U-23 national team who will host Tanzania in the return leg of their 2022 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Adagbasimgba Stadium, Ibadan reports Prime Business Africa.
The game kicks off in less than an hour from the time of this update.
The U-23 Eagles and their Tanzanian rivals drew the first leg in Dar es Salam 1-1 last weekend.
Makinde, who hosted the Nigeria U-23 boys at the Government House, Agodi ahead of the game, handed over the sum of N10 million to the players and officials, pledging a further sum of $25,000 should the team earn the minimum win against Tanzania that will shoot them into the final round of the qualifiers against the winner of the fixture between Uganda and Guinea.
READ ALSO: CAF U-23 AFCON: ‘Olympic Eagles’ Defeats Tanzania 3-1 On Aggregate, To Face Uganda Or Guinea
Just before the Governor made the cash donation, Chairman of the NFF Task Force on Youth Competitions, Alhaji Aminu Balele Kurfi, presented the sum of $10,000 to the team through the Head Coach, Salisu Yusuf. The money represents half of the amount he promised them for a win ahead of the first leg against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.
Balele also pledged the sum of $20,000 should the team defeat Tanzania in Ibadan on Saturday, prompting Governor Makinde to make a pledge of $25,000 as well.
“I am coming to the stadium with the cash; so, it is not a go-and-come-back promise. I will give you the money once you achieve victory,” Makinde said as players and officials, members of the Oyo State Executive Council, Board Members and Management of the NFF, and NFF congressmen cheered.
Also at the occasion were the Deputy Governor of Oyo State; Speaker of the House of Assembly; Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa, Otunba Sunday Dele-Ajayi and Alhaji Babagana Kalli (NFF Board Members); Oyo State Sports Commissioner Seun Fakorede; Otunba Tade Azeez (President of NRA); NFF Congressmen; Kabiyesi James Odeniran (Chairman, Oyo State Football Association) and; Management Staff of the NFF.
It would be recalled that earlier on Friday, Super Eagles’ captain Ahmed Musa had promised the Olympic Eagles the sum of N500,000 for every goal in Saturday’s cliff-hanger at the Lekan Salami Stadium.
Should Nigeria’s U-23 side get past Tanzania and also the winner of the Uganda versus Guinea fixtures, they will qualify for the U-23 AFCON that will produce Africa’s representatives in the football event of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
