Having produced some quality players for the national teams coupled with aiding the Lagos State dominance of the football event at the last National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012 for these, the Lagos Junior League must be sustained.

These were the views of the Executive Secretary of Lagos Junior League, Tunde Disu who believes the more players have come through the league to represent Nigeria at major competitions.

“I can tell you that since the Lagos Junior league started in 2010, it has unearthed a lot of quality players for the national teams. The likes of Taiwo Awoniyi, Akinjide Idowu, Victor Osihmen, who were members of the victorious Golden Eaglets World Cup winning team in 2013 and 2015 featured in the league. Specifically, Winfred Ndidi, a member of the Super Eagles, who now plies his trade in Belgian top league, is another product of Lagos Junior League.

Nine members of the victorious Lagos Team that won the football event of the 2012 National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012 were regulars in the Lagos Junior League. The successes recorded in the league cannot be quantified as it has also serves as an empowerment platform for referees, players, coaches, match commissioners, ball boys and stewards,” Disu said.

The former national team handler however, said “Teams like Nath Boys, Apapa Golden Stars, Surulere, and Ikorodu among others have shown that with more support they can produce quality players for the country. All these teams have conducted themselves professionally and this has also become models for teams at grassroots level. We will continue to use this tournament to give young players the chance to prove their worth.

Also, the league has helped to check age-cheat because for any player to take part in the league, we rely on their LAGEM number which is given to students in Lagos State Schools. This number cannot be fabricated by anybody and it is only the Ministry of Education that can generate it so any player that never attend school in Lagos cannot have it,” Disu.

The 1989 Daman Miracle coach singled out Nath Boys team sponsored by Yemi Idowu as one of the well-organised teams in the Lagos Junior League. “I must say that Nath Boys is run professionally in terms of organisation and motivation of the players. Organizationally, the team is handled professionally because all their things are well done. The players are well motivated and they are paid constantly and this alone has motivated the players to continue to do well in the league.

Some of the players in the team have made it to the national teams like the Super Eagles which has Winfred Ndidi. For us, we are proud of team like this and we hope the league would throw up more quality teams as we are also expecting more privately-run team to be part of the league.”