…BRINGS LEICESTER CITY WONDERBOY, WILFRED NDIDI FEATURES IN NOVELTY MATCH
By Okosun Dennis
9 Brigade Commander, Nigerian Army, Ikeja Cantonment, , Brig. Gen. Lander Saraso has again expressed his support towards bringing to limelight the Little Wonders FC based in the Cantonment by bringing the Super Eagles and Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi towards motivating them to excel in their professional football career.
Little Wonders FC has just been promoted to play in the Lagos State League. The team qualified for the league for the first time since its inception in 2002.
The visit of the Nigerian international, Wilfred Ndidi came alongside a friendly match of Little Wonders FC against Bomb Blast FC at the Lt. Gen. T. Y. Buratai sports complex inside the Army Cantonment on Monday.
The game was an explosive match and is second in its series lined up for the team by Brig. Gen Saraso.
The match which ended at a 2-2 draw with Wilfred Ndidi scoring the second goal for Little Wonders FC; the other goals were scored by Stanley Joseph of Little Wonders and the duo of Bulus Zaina and Nurudeen Akanbi of Bomb Blast FC.
Speaking with pressmen on the organised novelty match, Brig. Gen Saraso pointed out that “The essence of organizing this friendly novelty match is to encourage the youths in the barracks especially the Little Wonders FC who have been grooming themselves for years on this pitch. Ndidi was one of them until he left for Europe to play professional football.
“They have, for the very first time as a team, qualified to play in the Lagos State League. When they came to me with this good news, I promised that I am going to encourage them to go higher.
“The least I can do is to get their contemporaries, people who started like them with humble beginnings and same background to come and identify with them, play with them, gist with them, get very good advice from them so that they can be encouraged and developed in order to realize their full potentials.”
“We started this when I first brought in Moses Simon who plays with Nantes FC. He is also a barracks boy who started in Kaduna. His father is a soldier who served till he retired.
“I said it will not be out of place to get someone from this barracks from this same pitch. I found him and he obliged. I am sure it will impact youths playing on the pitch and those sitting on the pavilion by his presence and will likely wait to put in more determination to their acts.’
“I want to encourage the youths to remain disciplined as the barracks is founded on discipline. They should be good ambassadors of the barracks, shun crimes and vices”, the Brigade Commander reiterated.
The Special Guest of Honour at the football match, Wilfred Ndidi who also emerged from the barracks in Maryland, Lagos was elated to be invited to part of the success story.
In his words, “This is a great privilege for me to be back home. Special thanks to Brig. Gen. Saraso for inviting me. I am really honoured. I am really happy to see everyone. I am here to encourage these players and I believe my presence will make them feel that way. I am blessed to have come out of this place to let them know I came from the roots. I will advise the youths that they have the talent and quality, they should showcase it.”
On the need for youths to embrace education, the Leicester City FC star remarked: “They have to further their education which is a plus for you. It is a reality that you can be in school and play football so that you can have something to fall back on if football doesn’t work out.’
“I didn’t think I would get to the top growing up in the barracks. I just wanted to play football. It was just the grace of God and the opportunity came and I took it. I am really pleased. I am really blessed really proud of myself”, Ndidi concluded.
As a motivational impetus to the team, Wilfred Ndidi donated N500,000 each to Little Wonders FC, Bomb Blast FC, and as well as Widows in the Cantonment.
Other dignitaries at the novelty match included the Base Commander, 651 Base Services Group, Ikeja, Air Commodore Kolade Adeniran Ademuwagun; Director, Institute of Army Education, Nigerian Army Cantonment Ikeja, Brig. Gen. M.M Kini; Director, Nigerian Army Archives, Ikeja Military Cantonment, Lagos, Brig. Gen. M.A. Uba; Chief Executive Officer, Achieving Greatness, Mr. Emmanuel Ojibo; Chief of Staff, 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army Cantonment Ikeja, Col. I.O. Amah; CEO of Teeded Nig. LTD, Mr. Tunji Aded Adeyankinnu; CEO, Emperor Resources Ltd, Mr. Femi Shadamoro among other personalities.
https://any.peopleandpowermag.com/how-brig-gen-saraso-is-changing-fortunes-of-young-players-at-ikeja-cantonment/
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