Remo Stars academy boys Beyond Limits were last weekend crowned champions of the 2023 NPFL and LaLiga U-15 Promises. Beyond Limits defeated Plateau United’s Mees Palace1-0 to make it back-to-back wins in the NPFLU-15 competition at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun state.
LaLiga Ambassador in Nigeria, Mutiu Adepoju said the tournament was a huge success as the youthful teams were worthy ambassadors of their various clubs.
“We had 16 teams that started but it was Remo Stars and Plateau United that got to the final.”
He observed that the standard of the tournament which was sponsored by MTN Nigeria was awesome and the final was top-notch. He said there was not much that differentiated the two teams. “The two teams played good football and the lucky side won”.
The former Super Eagles star insisted, “it could have been anybody’s game. It’s just that the Remo boys used the opportunity they had.”
He couldn’t hold back his joy as a LaLiga Ambassador. “For La Liga, this means a lot. LaLiga is passionate about developing the game from the grassroots. This is one of the ways LaLiga can contribute to Nigeria football and that is what we are doing.
“We saw good players emerge, there is one from Remo Stars who scored 10 goals in this edition. It’s improving, we are having more goals and new stars are emerging.”
Proprietor of Remo Stars Kunle Soname was all smiles after the match which was decided by a lone goal scored by 10-goal hero, Opeyemi Yusuf in the second half of the exciting encounter.
“It means a lot to us at Remo Stars, first it shows that what we are doing is good, at least we are on the right track. We are very proud of our achievements. Emerging the best among the best U15 teams in the country back-to-back is worthy of emulation.”
Soname was not flattered by the stylish manner the two teams performed in the final as he considered the standard of this year’s championship was not higher than last year’s.
“It is the same. To be honest, I think the standard is the same. But I also think that the crop of players sent by clubs were fairly younger than the ones we had last year. And that has been coming down year by year.”
He disclosed that the secret behind Remo Stars’ success was their academy which sees the players graduate from one stage to the next.
“Majority of these players that featured today came in as U13s and some of them who featured last year are eligible because they are still in the age bracket. The team has just been together. They all played in U13 and U15. They have just been together”
The tournament climaxed with an award ceremony in which the major sponsor, MTN Nigeria showered the outstanding players with N100,000 each.
Opeyemi Yusuf won the Golden boot and a plaque as the highest goal scorer with 10 goals. He was generous as he said he would share his cash with his teammates. Abubakar Sadiq from El Kanemi Warriors(most articulate) , Moses Chuwang of Plateau United(best goalkeeper), Sumfat Julius from Plateau United, who scored the goal of the tournament sent everyone in the packed hall chuckling with laughter when he said he would buy a piece of land in Jos with his N100k MTN largess. Umar Bala of Plateau United also won the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
