Fortune FC, Labro Girls triumph at 10th Taiwo Afolabi Cup

Fortune FC and Labro Girls were crowned champions of the 10th edition of the Taiwo Afolabi U-17 Football Tournament after winning their respective finals at the Onikan Stadium in Lagos on Sunday, with both sides pocketing N400,000 cash prizes for their victories, PidomNigeria Sports Extra reports.

In the boys’ final, Fortune FC of Oshodi delivered a commanding display to defeat FC Dynamos of Iwaya 2-0, while the girls’ decider went all the way to penalties, where Labro Girls from Ipaja edged Starlet Girls from Ididmu 5-4 after a goalless 90 minutes. Runners-up in both categories received N300,000.

The third-place matches had been decided earlier, with Infinity FC defeating Apex FC 3-2 and Fela Queen seeing off Puma Queen one-nil in the girls’ bronze match.

The tournament, sponsored by SIFAX Group, featured 56 clubs — 32 male and 24 female — drawn from across Lagos State, making it one of the largest youth football competitions on the state’s grassroots calendar. Preliminary matches were played at the Ojo Oniyun Sports Centre in Ebute Metta and the Anthony Mini Stadium in Gbagada.

SIFAX Group Chairman Dr Taiwo Afolabi, in whose honour the competition is staged annually to coincide with his birthday, said the decade-long investment in youth football was rooted in a genuine belief in the transformative power of the sport.

“I decided to sponsor this tournament for the past 10 years because we use it to celebrate my birthday every year, but more importantly, we need to motivate and encourage these players because they are our future,” Afolabi said.

“What unites the world is football. There is no doubt about that. People like the legends (Daniel) Amokachi, (Austin), Kanu (Nwankwo) — they travelled out of this country and made us proud. I am doing this to support and complement what the federal government is doing.”

The 64-year-old said he was pleased with the growth of the competition and hinted at plans to expand participation and attract additional sponsors for future editions. He also issued a pointed message to the Nigeria Football Federation, urging the body to match the transparency the tournament had maintained throughout its decade of existence.

“They must support our youth. They must begin to do the right thing and not play politics with football. We have been transparent for 10 years and declared winners without any tricks. They must learn from that,” he said.

The tournament has built a strong record of producing players who have gone on to represent Nigeria and secure contracts abroad. Notable alumni include Super Eagles midfielder Samson Tijani, who was discovered at the 2019 edition and currently plays for Dukla Prague in the Czech Republic, Soliu Afolabi of Slovan Liberec, Chijioke Light, who has represented Nigeria at the WAFU Championship and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and Ebenezer Ojo, discovered in 2022 and now playing in the Norwegian league.