BSFA Chairman Doles Out N.7m To Victorious Lobi U-19 Team

The Chairman of Benue State Football Association (BSFA), Chief Dr. Paul Edeh Esq, has rewarded Lobi Stars U-19 team who finished tops at the just concluded U19 tournament in Abia State.

The Lobi Stars young team who represented Benue State leapfrogged their counterparts from Abia, Enugu, Rivers States to place best in their group.

Thereafter, they qualified for the Super 6 expected to be staged in Benue State in days ahead.

Announcing the cash rewards, Chief Edeh immediately gave the players N500, 000, while their coaches got N200, 000.

While eulogisiing the team, the Benue FA Chairman who is known for his philanthropic gestures and football administrator par excellence said, “Moving forward, the efforts that the board of the Benue Football Association has made is to ensure that we pay particular attention to the coaches especially, those that serve within the academy level.

“Having said that, let me acknowledge that it’s the efforts of these academies and coaches that gave Lobi Stars these set of young lads that went to Abia and topped their group and qualified for the Super 6 .

“Every boy who is here was discovered from an academy, either in Markurdi or Oturkpo or across the state.”

Chief Edeh urged the academies to always make their players available to Lobi Stars even at the senior team level, just as he charged the club’s management to reciprocate with necessary payments to the players and academies.

On his part, the Chairman of Lobi Stars FC, Dr. Philip Nongu, who doubles as the Acting Commissioner, Benue State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Creativity, assured of willingness to keep their own side of the bargain while appealing for cooperation by the academies.

Recalling how the U-19 team was formed, Dr. Nongu said, “When we got request for that championship, it was four days to the commencement and I told the coaches, can they please release their players so that they will represent the state at Umuahia and they said yes.

“And they went and made us proud, because of their determination and discipline, we’re proud of them.”

He appealed for all in Benue State and beyond to rally round Lobi Stars as they rebuild to relaunch at the zenith level, adding, “Lobi Stars belongs to the whole State. It doesn’t belong to Philip Nongu. The team belongs to the whole state so, please let us join hands, now that we’re starting afresh and the sky is not the limit for Lobi Stars football club by the grace of God.”