I hope their example will inspire other Nigerian clubs to pursue their dreams continuously with tenacity and optimism,” Tinubu said.
The President also extended special recognition to the club’s owner and chairman, Mr. Kunle Soname, applauding his commitment to the development of grassroots football.
He noted that Soname’s investment, particularly the construction of a state-of-the-art stadium in Ikenne, had provided a vital foundation for the growth of sports in Nigeria.
With the NPFL title secured, Remo Stars will now represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League.
President Tinubu urged the team to maintain their “undaunting spirit and focus” as they aim for continental honours.
He further called on football fans across the country to support the team as they embark on their journey on the African stage.
He scored 15 goals in 75 appearances for Nigeria.
His club career also took him to Germany, Turkey, France, England and Qatar before retiring in 2012. Okocha enjoyed a remarkable career that saw him at Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bolton Wanderers, among other clubs.
The midfielder won different individual awards but he was infamously beaten to the African Player of The Year Award, even at the peak of his career.
“I mean at some point, I thought I did enough to have won it, you know but I mean at the end of the day, I have to take it and say maybe that’s life, you know you can’t have it all,” Okocha told Oma Sports TV.
“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be but of course, I thought that I deserved at least on one occasion to have won it. You know, because if you look at that list and look at some of the people that won it during my time, you know, then I will agree with you that it uh it was unfair.”
In 1998, he placed second behind Morocco’s Mustapha Hadji – his closest shot at the award.
