BAO Breaks Football Jinx As Ekiti Team Hosts First Ever Premier League Match, First Ever Private Stadium Opens

---

Ekiti State was born in 1996 and quite a number of records have been broken and new ones set in various fields of human endeavour including academics, entrepreneurship, agriculture, economy and Sports.

On Tuesday, a major jinx was broken by Ekiti State as the State hosted it's first ever Premier Football League on Ekiti soil.

The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) surprisingly chose Ekiti as the venue to host the Women Premier League match as the State female football team, Ekiti Queens compete for the first time in the highest level of Women Football in Nigeria.

When the news broke, it was like a joke as many thought it was something small until when the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau indicated interest to visit Ekiti.

This put the State government and lots of stakeholders on their toes as mercenaries were set in motion to ensure a befitting first ever  National opening match on Ekiti soil.

The day came and it was indeed a day never to be forgotten in the anal of Sports in the State as NFF President made good his promise by landing in Ekiti at about noon and came straight for a media interactive session with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) 

At the Press parley held at the Conference room of the Ministry of Education in Ado, the Nigeria's Number 1 Football administrator while stating his mission in Ekiti promised to work with the government of governor Biodun Oyebanji towards using football to empower and enrich talented Ekiti youths.

Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau who said he was glad to have visited Ekiti for football development reasons unlike in the past when he used to come for either elections or settlement of rifts in the State Football Association.

While congratulating Ekiti State for having a female football team campaigning in the Nigeria Women Football Premier League for the first time, alhaji Gusau urged Football stakeholders to cooperate with the current chairman, chief Olu Oloworemo and Board of the State Football Association for greater achievements to be witnessed by the State.

He also answered various national questions thrown at him by Sports journalists before heading to the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado Ekiti for the NWFL Premier Football League.

The stadium which wore beautiful new look with presence of several high profile personalities was filled to the brim for the first time in many years not for political nor religous purposes as it used to be but because of the love for Football.

Ekiti State governor's wife, Mrs Olayemi Oyebanji joined by the NFF President took the official kickoff of the match as Ekiti Queens hosted defending champions of the Women Premier League, Delta Queens.

The match went down as one of the most intriguing, entertaining and interesting matches ever graced by the teeming Ekiti Sports lovers as Ekiti Queens who are playing at that stage of the league for the first time gave a good account of themselves.

The host team created chances, defended well and created surprises to the admiration of the governor's wife and all spectators as they held Delta Queens to a goalless draw even though their performance should have earned them victory if their goal scoring chances had not been thwarted by the more experienced defenders of Delta Queens.

All spectators left with great fulfilment that Ekiti State within one year of the administration of governor Biodun Oyebanji has set it's feet on the threshold of greatness through Sports as many Sports enthusiasts applauded the unprecedented support accorded Sports by the State government.

Meanwhile, another record will be set on Wednesday November 15 when the very first privately owned sports stadium will be commissioned.

The stadium constructed by Prince Festus Olumide Adegboye being the CEO of Olukismet Foundation and Football Club in Ikere Ekiti will be attracting dozens of National figures including  Ministers, Senators as well as the NFF President who had chosen to grace the occasion.

The Olukismet Stadium in Ikere with over one thousand capacity, Astro turf football pitch and other features will go down in history as one of the unthinkable strides by an individual towards developing sports in Ekiti State.

At the occasion, the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) will also have a media interactive session with some big wigs including the President of Olukismet Foundation and Football Club,Prince Festus Olumide Adegboye who will be shedding light on what inspired him to embark on the project.

Extra: Pictures from Tuesday Women Premier Football League between Ekiti Queens and Delta Queens 👇