By Festus Fifen.
The maiden edition of the Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi Football Championship ended on Saturday with Legend FC of AMAC defeating Maracana FC of Kwali 2-1 to lift the FCT Unity Cup.
The grand finale played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, marked the end of the month-long competition among teams from the six area councils of the FCT.
Kelechi Francis of Legend FC opened scoring in the 38th minute before Sheriff Idris of Maracana FC restored parity for the Kwali boys on resumption of the second half in the 47th minute.
Francis, however, sealed victory for the Legend boys with a clean finish in the 52nd minute, to ensure a 2-1 victory for Legend FC.
The third place match which was held earlier saw Kickers FC defeating N-Youth FC 5-4 on penalties, after regulation time ended 2-2.
Expressing her joy and satisfaction with the tournament , Mrs Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, organiser of the championship, told journalists after the match that the competition was organised to foster unity and discover grassroots talent scattered across the FCT.
The media entrepreneur and former All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial aspirant for FCT, said sports could serve as a veritable tool for empowering Nigerian youth and promoting unity in the country.
In her words, “This inaugural competition is meant to engage our youth and promote unity in the country, starting with FCT.
“If there is no unity, there cannot be a nation. So, we are trying to use sports to bring about positive change, get our youths off the streets, and build a great nation,” she said.
Benjamins-Laniyi said ex-internationals such as Kanu Nwankwo and Femi Ajilore were selected as ambassadors of the competition to give inspiration and mentorship to young talents discovered at the competition.
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