The Chairman of the Benue State Football Association (BSFA), Chief Dr Paul Edeh Esq, has rewarded the Lobi Stars U-19 team, who emerged victorious at the recently concluded U19 tournament in Abia State.
The young Lobi Stars team, representing Benue State, outperformed their counterparts from Abia, Enugu, and Rivers States to top their group.
Subsequently, they qualified for the Super 6, which is expected to take place in Benue State in the coming days.
Announcing the cash rewards, Chief Edeh presented the players with N500,000, while their coaches received N200,000.
Praising the team, the Benue FA Chairman, known for his philanthropic efforts and excellence in football administration, stated, “Moving forward, the board of the Benue Football Association is committed to ensuring that we pay particular attention to coaches, especially those serving at the academy level.
“I must acknowledge that it is the efforts of these academies and coaches that produced the young talents who represented Lobi Stars and excelled in Abia, qualifying for the Super 6.
“Every boy here was discovered from an academy, whether in Makurdi, Oturkpo, or across the state.”
Chief Edeh urged the academies to make their players available to Lobi Stars, even at the senior team level, while he charged the club’s management to ensure timely payments to both players and academies.
On his part, the Chairman of Lobi Stars FC, Dr Philip Nongu, who also serves as the Acting Commissioner of the Benue State Ministry of Youth, Sports and Creativity, expressed a commitment to uphold their end of the agreement while appealing for cooperation from the academies.
Reflecting on the formation of the U-19 team, Dr Nongu stated, “When we received the request for that championship, it was only four days before the event began. I asked the coaches if they could release their players to represent the state in Umuahia, and they agreed.
“They made us proud with their determination and discipline, and we are indeed proud of them.”
He appealed for support from everyone in Benue State and beyond to rally around Lobi Stars as they aim to rebuild and relaunch at the highest level, adding, “Lobi Stars belongs to the entire state. It does not belong to Philip Nongu. The team belongs to all of us, so let us join hands as we start afresh; the sky is the limit for Lobi Stars Football Club, by the grace of God.”
