Oyo State, famous for notching up several firsts, has been given the sobriquet “the Pace Setter State,” hence it was no surprise when Ilaji Football League, an inter-town football competition, the first of its kind in the history of football organisation in Nigeria, was unveiled a couple of weeks ago.
The league, which has since commenced at the newly renovated Ilaji Resort’s stadium, has seen nine teams and Ilaji FC representing three senatorial districts of Oyo State engage one another.
A visit of Prince Dapo Ajibade, an advocate of grassroots football and former chairman of Sunshine Football Club of Akure, had fused with the burning desire of Chief Dotun Sanusi, the sole financier of Ilaji Football League (IFL), whose love for grassroots football is unrivalled.
Chief Sanusi, having discovered that he shares the same ideology and vision of football development with Prince Ajibade immediately swung into action and then funds were made available by Chief Sanusi, a petroleum engineer graduate of the University of Ibadan, to organise the special competition.
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It all started with Chief Sanusi’s team visiting the traditional rulers of the following Oyo, Ibadan, Ogbomosho, Saki, Igbeti, Igboho, Kisi, Ibarapa and Iseyin, intimating them about the league. Having seen the intention behind IFL, the traditional rulers did not only give their full backing to the competition but are also part of the decision-making organ of the league, which comprises Oyo United, Ibadan United, Ogbomosho United, Saki United, Igbeti United, Igboho United, Kisi United, Ibarapa United and Iseyin United through their representatives.
In order for the players to display their full potential on the field of play, Chief Sanusi gave out the contract for the replacement of Ilaji Resort’s stadium’s natural pitch astroturf. Thus, the spectacle of the football artistry being displayed week in, week out by these footballing talents from the grassroots has made nonsense of any sentiments which might have ensued as a result of the amount of money spent by Chief Sanusi on the transformation of his resort’s stadium, the venue of all the matches of the IFL. The result of these world-class facilities made available to these young lads has been evident on the number of national team prospects that have been discovered so far by the technical team of the league.
Outside the field of play, there is no doubt that the league has fostered unity among the various towns that constitute Oyo State. The representatives of the traditional rulers of the aforementioned towns have formed a union of sort monitoring and discussing issues that border on the success of Ilaji Football League. This renewed unity has also spread to our traditional rulers as they have also seen a common goal in the successful completion of IFL. One thing these custodians of culture are now chorusing is for mother luck to shine on the players of their respective teams so that they would be discovered by the European scouts by the time the league ends in February.
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For Chief Sanusi, the Chief Executive Officer, Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort, his ultimate vision is not only limited to giving talented grassroots footballers a chance in Europe, his goal for shouldering the financial responsibility of IFL includes using the league as incubation of football talents for all the professional leagues in Oyo State.
To him, Shooting Stars Sports Club, Crown FC of Ogbomosho and others should be peopled with homegrown talents. According to him, signing of players from other states of the country with millions of naira is an anomaly, considering the embarasment of footballing talents at the grassroots.
To fulfill Chief Sanusi’s calling of “taking as many youths as possible off the streets” and giving them a platform to exhibit their God-given talents, the Ilaji Resort boss has procured a large share in SWIEQI, a football club in Malta, which will see young footballing talents ply their skills in the club.