Benfad FC Win Bet9ja U-19 Tourney, Ondo FA Hails Sponsor
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Benfad Global Football Club of Akure have won the third edition of the Bet9ja Ondo State U-19 Football Tournament.
The match, played at the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure on Sunday, had Benfad defeating Ipole City Football Club 3–2 to win the tournament.
Ipole City FC led 1–0 at half-time and wasted no time in increasing their tally to 2–0 immediately after the restart.
However, Benfad FC had other plans, first reducing the deficit from the penalty spot and later equalising through a scramble in the box, before sealing victory with a well-struck free kick to put the game to bed at 3–2.
Meanwhile, Ondo East United had earlier defeated Real Ifon 3–0 to finish in third place.
The head coach of Benfad Global Football Club, Banjo Adepoju, in his post-match interview with journalists, appreciated the organisers and sponsors of the competition for staging a successful tournament.
Adepoju also praised his players for their determination to come back into the game after going 2–0 down.
“It was a good competition, and the fact that we started from the preliminary stage and remained unbeaten until the final is commendable.
“I want to commend the players for their determination when they were 2–0 down and for their ability to come back and win the match. It was a good performance, and I give credit to them.
“We learn every day, and I believe they will learn from their mistakes. As I said, they showed a lot of character and attitude during the second half,” he said.
The head coach of Ipole City, Ebenezer Adebayo, said the team would go back to the drawing board to correct their mistakes and return stronger.
In his remarks, the chairman of the Bet9ja U-19 Ondo State Football Tournament, Yomi Seriki, congratulated all the teams that participated in the competition.
Seriki commended the eight teams that qualified for the Super 8 tournament and the eventual winners, noting that “they are all winners”.
The chairman also revealed that the tournament would continue to evolve year after year, with teams expected to see more innovations in future editions.
Ondo State FA chairman, Sunday Dele-Ajayi, expressed appreciation to the sponsor and organisers for providing a platform for players to showcase their talents.
Dele-Ajayi, who described the event as a major success, said players had been identified for national team opportunities, adding that further plans would be unveiled in due course.
“Well, I am happy. We have held the first, second, and now the third edition.
“It is a great success, and some players have been identified for the national team. We will continue to work with the Bet9ja community to sustain the competition year after year.
“Although things are challenging in the country at the moment, we require substantial funding to make a difference.
“We will appeal to the sponsor to increase support, and we will also seek additional sponsors next season,” he said.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
