By ENITAN ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA, mnipr
The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, has unveiled the Asaba City Football Club as part of activities marking his 71st birth anniversary, unveiling an ambitious sporting initiative aimed at discovering young talents, empowering youths and projecting Asaba onto the national and international football stage.
The monarch, who personally performed the unveiling ceremony, described the initiative as the beginning of a purposeful undertaking that would be pursued to its logical conclusion, stressing that the club was conceived not merely as a football outfit but as a strategic investment in the future of Asaba and its younger generation.
He identified professionalism, grassroots talent development, the export of football talents, youth engagement and the rebranding of Asaba as critical priorities that would shape the club’s operations and long-term ambitions.
The Asagba expressed optimism that the club would, within the shortest possible time, secure a place in the Nigerian Premier League and establish itself as a formidable force in national and international football competitions.
According to him, the initiative presents a veritable opportunity to redirect the energy of the youthful population towards productive ventures, while creating pathways through which talented young people can build sustainable careers in sports.
“We also want to use it as an avenue to take our youths out of the streets. Asaba’s population is basically youthful by almost 70 per cent, and we are working assiduously and diligently to see how we can meaningfully engage them so that they can grow up to become responsible citizens,” he said.
The monarch explained that the club would provide young people with an opportunity to discover their potential, develop their abilities and ultimately attain positions where they could earn a decent living through football.
“This is a veritable opportunity that can help to give our youths an outlet to get out of the streets and get involved in something that will ultimately put them in the commanding heights where they can comfortably eke out a living,” he added.
Beyond grassroots development, the Asagba also used the occasion to make a strong case for greater recognition of Asaba as a suitable destination for major national football fixtures, particularly matches involving the Super Eagles.
He specifically called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to take advantage of the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, insisting that the facility possesses the capacity to host matches of the national team.
Paying tribute to the late Stephen Keshi, the former Super Eagles captain and coach after whom the stadium was named, the monarch noted that Keshi’s contribution to Nigerian football, both as a player and coach, remained significant.
He said: “I want to use this platform to say that we have a Stadium, which is named after one of the leading lights of our time, the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba. Stephen Keshi, we know, may not be our son, but he was the captain of the Super Eagles and later coached the team to Continental glory, having won the same as a player.”
The Asagba maintained that the stadium should not be overlooked when decisions were being made on venues for international football matches, arguing that Asaba deserved to enjoy the same recognition and opportunities as other cities hosting national team fixtures.
“I therefore challenge the Football Federation to bring matches to Asaba. Stephen Keshi Stadium is fit enough to host Super Eagles’ matches. We demand that Asaba should also be recognised. That the Super Eagles can play in Asaba because we have all it takes to host them,” he declared.
His appeal, he noted, was also rooted in the need to promote national unity and ensure that opportunities to host important football events were distributed fairly across the country.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Asaba Sports Development Committee and Chairman of Asaba City Football Club, Ogbueshi Wing Commander Peter Iweze (rtd.), described the establishment of the club as the outcome of a long and deliberate process involving the necessary institutional and administrative groundwork.
He disclosed that the club had been registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), while its Board of Trustees (BoT) had also been constituted, with the Asagba serving as chairman.
According to Iweze, the club had already identified a venue for its training activities and was working towards assembling a competitive squad that would participate in the Nigeria Nationwide League One (NLO 1) next season.
He expressed confidence that, with the right structures, resources and commitment, the club could progress through the ranks and secure promotion to the Nigerian Premier League within the next two years.
The club chairman commended the Asagba for his foresight and commitment to sports development, assuring the monarch that the management, technical crew and other stakeholders were prepared to work diligently towards achieving the vision behind the initiative.
Also speaking, the Establishment and Management Consultant of the club, Mr. Tony Pemu, described the project as one with a broader social and developmental mission beyond the pursuit of football trophies and league positions.
He said the initiative was fundamentally about giving young people a future, restoring community pride and positioning Asaba as a dependable source of emerging football talents for Nigeria and the international football market.
“It is not just about football, but about giving the youths a future, giving Asaba a pride, and giving Nigeria a new talent factory,” Pemu stated.
He explained that the club would adopt a deliberate grassroots development strategy by catching young talents early and combining their football training with education, discipline and professional development.
Pemu stressed that the initiative would be inclusive, ensuring that no child was denied the opportunity to pursue a football career because of poverty, lack of privileged connections or other socio-economic limitations.
He further described Asaba City Football Club as a community-based project that required collective ownership and sustained financial support to achieve its objectives.
Consequently, he called on sons and daughters of Asaba, well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to identify with the initiative through financial and other forms of support, noting that adequate investment would accelerate the club’s development and facilitate its transition into the professional league.
The unveiling of Asaba City Football Club formed part of a broader programme of activities marking the Asagba’s 71st birthday, which also featured an empowerment initiative for 250 indigent widows from the Asaba community.
The monarch’s support for the widows further underscored the social dimension of the birthday celebration, which combined sports development, youth empowerment and humanitarian intervention.
With the unveiling of Asaba City Football Club, the Asagba has set in motion a sporting vision that seeks to transform grassroots football into an instrument of opportunity, economic empowerment and community development, while placing Asaba on the map as an emerging centre of football excellence.