Osayi-Samuel, who currently plies his trade with Fenerbahçe FC in Turkey, was in Benin City to witness the final and third-place fixtures of the grassroots competition. The footballer’s visit and continued commitment to youth sports development did not go unnoticed by top sporting officials in the state.
In a statement released by the Media Officer to the Executive Chairman, Mr. Edoko Wilson Edoko, Hon. Enabulele lauded the international footballer’s efforts in nurturing young talent in Edo State, noting that the initiative perfectly aligns with the vision of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
“The Governor specifically mandated that communities within Edo State be actively engaged in discovering raw talents, and that structured tournaments should be organised to provide platforms for them to compete at local, national, and international levels,” Enabulele said.
He further emphasized the importance of focusing on the Under-13 category in grassroots development efforts. “When we talk about Under-13, we are deliberate about ‘catching them young.’ This tournament aligns perfectly with the Governor’s vision for sports development in Edo State,” he stated, adding that the Commission is ready to provide facilities and other resources in support of the programme.
Enabulele also used the occasion to appeal for greater involvement from Osayi-Samuel, particularly in supporting Edo’s professional male and female football clubs. “We thank you for all you have done, but we are asking for even more support from you, especially towards our male and female top-flight league teams — Bendel Insurance and Edo Queens FC,” he said.
The sports chairman described Osayi-Samuel as a trailblazer, being thefirst international footballer from Benin to return home with a purposeful initiative targeting the youth. “It’s not only about sending finances and other essential resources, but also about you coming in person to witness what you are doing to impact the lives of many youths. This greatly shows your undiluted commitment to sports development in
Edo State,” Enabulele added.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Edo State Football Association, Mr. Fred Newton, praised Osayi-Samuel for investing in grassroots football and expressed appreciation to the Sports Commission for creating an enabling environment for sporting initiatives to flourish.
In response, Osayi-Samuel expressed gratitude for the warm reception and reiterated his dedication to uplifting sports development in Edo. “I have the platform to reach out to other international football stakeholders in
Europe to establish a more viable platform to empower our youths through sports. I applaud Hon. Enabulele for his warm reception,” he said.
“Today, I am in Benin because I have a tournament for U-13. It is the final today, and I wanted to come and watch. I couldn’t make it last year, so this year I made sure I am here. This is my home. I’ll do anything to give my support. I love football, and I want to see new stories from Benin,” the defender added.
Osayi-Samuel also revealed plans to help transition some of the standout players from the tournament to professional opportunities abroad. “Hopefully, I can find one or two ballers and bring them to Europe. That’s the goal — to give them a chance,” he stated.
At the tournament’s conclusion, Okuta FC were crowned champions and awarded a cash prize of ₦1,000,000. Sanco City FC secured second place and received ₦750,000, while Shooting Arrows FC came third, earning ₦500,000 along with a trophy presented to the overall winners.
