The Legacy Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos was a beehive of activities on Friday 22nd December as 36 Lion Football Club clocked 23.
It was a memorable day filled with different events which started with the Under 16 Lions graduation game. 36 Lion FC of Iwaya, Lagos defeated their counterpart from Badagry in the final.
The best goalkeeper award in the Under 16 Lions championship went to John Adams. Alex John popularly referred to as (Pankere) finished the U16 Lions championship as the highest goal scorer and earned promotion to the senior team, while Chinonso Oweneze emerged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP), he also moved up through to the next stage in the Lion’s den.
The Penalty Kick Challenge also got the audience thrilled as Adam Ogungbade won the cash prize of twenty five thousand naira, he was up against more than 30 other Lions in the Under 16 category.
Highlight of the event was the battle of the Home Based Lions and their Seniors from diaspora which ended 2-2.
The Diaspora Lions are players who passed through the tutelage of 36 Lion FC before seeking greener pastures abroad.
The Diaspora Lions team had Moses Usor who plays LASK, lanky forward Mohammed Tijani who also plies his at trade for Slavia Praha.
Benin Republic International Samson Akinyoola who’s based in Egypt with Zamalek was also in action alongside Spartak Trnava’s attacking midfielder Azeez Oseni amongst others.
The President of 36 Lion FC, Hajji Liameed Olawale Gafar in an interview explained that the Lion affairs between the Home Based and Diaspora Lions is a way of keeping the bond between the players abroad and the community that made them, and also giving people the opportunity of seeing them play again.
“It’s for them to keep the bond, it has become a tradition that we call the Lion affairs, it will also motivate the Home Based Lions to put in their best as they aim for greener pastures.”
Gafar attributed the success achieved in the last 23 years to God, hardwork, dedication and the coming together of people of like minds.
Usor won the Diaspora Lions’ Most Valuable Player due to his exploits in Europe, this award is refered to as the Lion’s Ballon D’or.
Peter Olayinka, Ezekiel Imoh, Olufemi Junior Ajayi, Sadiq Atanda, Yira Sor, Olaitan Junior Ishola, Yusuf Lawal, Ade Oguns, Quadri Liameed and Sodiq Popoola are some of the players who have passed through the Lion’s den.
Apart from indigenous brands, partners and agencies who graced the event, it also got the nod, endorsement and presence of The International Human Right Commission, coordinated by Dr. Yewande Okunoren-Oyekenu (Multi National Volunteers Coordinator, Special Monitoring Mission).