Ojukwu Steals The Show At Ilorin Etisalat Cup Play-Off

By Uche Peter

Lagos, Nigeria; October 21, 2016: FOSLA Academy, the representative of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja at the Ilorin Play-off of the ongoing season three of the Etisalat U-15 School Cup football competition have picked up one of the two available tickets to the Lagos National Finals.

The team garnered the maximum points from three matches after dispatching all their opponents with in commanding style. It scored a total of 16 goals and conceded none, the highest by any team in the competition so far. Thanks to the defence line led by Junior School 3 student, Dauda Hamza who coordinated efforts at the back. But he was not the star player that has left everyone talking. It was Chidera Prosper Ojukwu, a centre forward who enjoys playing in any role in the final third.

The 13 years-old is not the captain of the team, but his work rate as highlighted by the 13 goals he scored at the Play-off has given him a place of reckon among players that will make Nigeria proud in no distant future.

Ojukwu’s predatory instincts in the goal mouth has earned him a reputation as one of the brightest stars of his school team, FOSLA Academy founded by the immediate past president of the Nigeria Football Federation and Soccer Administrator, Sani Lulu Abdullahi.

Ojukwu opened his goal account in the first match with four goals and an assist in the 5-0 drubbing of Mbagwa Commercial Secondary School from Nassarawa State. In the second match against Minna-based Government Day Secondary School, he picked up from where he had left off, netting a brace in a 3-0 victory.

Many knew more was to come from him in the final match against Plateau, but hardly anyone have foretold the pain he was to unleash on the boys from Government Secondary School, Bokkos, which had seen some of its players disqualified over age cheat.

Ojukwu, in company of Adejoh Gabriel and Kumater Shina, proved a terrifying lot for their counterparts as he hit six goals to take his tournament tally to 13 goals. He missed a penalty in the same match.

“I like football. When I play football, I feel happy. It is something that gives me pleasure. I feel happy and I thank God for making me to reach this level. I also want to thank my team mates without whose cooperation I would not have got to this stage,” Ojukwu said of his time on the pitch.

Meanwhile, Socrates Secondary School, Ilorin has qualified for the Lagos National Finals billed for November. The team picked up the maximum nine points from three matches after defeating Kogi State 3-1, Cross River 1-0 and Benue 4-2.

The national champion of the 2016 edition will receive the Champions Trophy and a cash prize of N2 million educational award while its players will go home with N50,000 each. The second-placed team will go home with N1 million with the players pocketing extra N30,000 each while the third-place winner will have the sum of N750,000.00 for its efforts with its players receiving N20,000.00 each.