The Edo State Football Association announces July 30 as the kickoff date for the maiden edition of Bright Osayi-Samuel Under-13 Football tournament.
With the upcoming anticipated football tourney, Benin City will be alive again with grassroots football development.
The Edo State Football Association, organisers of the Edo-born Super Eagles’ international star Bright Osayi -Samuel U-13 Football tourney, made the disclosure during a press briefing and official unveiling of the tournament’s trophies on Thursday, July 11, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
In his opening remark, the Chairman of Edo State Football Association (Edo FA), Fred Newton Erhunmwunse, said he feels elated with joy on account of the deal he secured with the Fenerbache star, Bright Osayi Samuel, to sponsor the youth football competition.
Speaking during a Press Parley, Erhunmwunse disclosed that the journey to the creation of the tournament tagged Bright Osayi-Samuel U-13 Football Tournament, commenced when he took the trip to Cote d’Ivoire(Ivory Coast) for the 2023 African Cup of Nations tournament with the Super Eagles where Nigeria won a silver medal.
According to him, his game plan in the Ivory Coast was to meet with Edo State-born football stars in the national squad, the opportunity which he used to talk them into supporting Edo FA’s plan to move the standard of the game to higher heights.
The FA board promised to go the extra mile in ensuring that cheating and other malpractices are eliminated from the tournament so that worthy champions could emerge and also the blossoming potentials of the participants would be discovered for a promising future.
Winners of the tournament, apart from the trophy at stake, will go home with N1 million cash prize while the second, third and fourth-placed teams would be given N750, 000, N500,000 and N250,000 respectively. Also, outstanding players will be given N100,000 cash rewards and trophies.
Speaking on the side of the formal unveiling of the tournament, Erhunmwunse, said: “Yes, today, is a day of reality. It’s a journey that we started in January. Looking forward to our brothers in the diaspora coming to give back to the youths in Edo State.
“I especially thank our boy, who is from Oredo Local Government Area, Bright Osayi-Samuel, for deeming it fit to donate the trophy for the Under-13 youths for them to compete for.
“I am using this medium to call on other ex-footballers and others playing for any other club whether in Europe or other African countries to do the same. Football is continuity. We have these kids everywhere. We have different categories. We have the Under-10, Under-13 and Under-15. We want to engage them, to keep them away from the streets.”
On his part, Michael Osayi Onaghise, the elder brother of Bright Osayi-Samuel, who represented him at the Press Parley said: “Bright has always been in love with Nigeria where he comes from. He has not been opportune to stay so long here. He has been up and doing in Europe as we all know. He, at a time, called on his parents and asked ‘How can I just come to Nigeria and not meet anybody since nobody knows me.’ We assured him that we would be making a plan.
“Fortunately for us, we met Mr. Fred Newton Erhunmwunse, the Edo FA Chairman. That was how the journey kicked off. He was happy to be around in Edo State a few weeks ago where he met with the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the Governor’s family.
“In that meeting, he promised that he was going to make sure that he supports the grassroots football team and gives them the best to soar high the way he has done. Of course, he also started from a youth team. He is trying to see how best he could do such for Edo State where he comes from. He’s really proud of the state.”
