Fans relish Champions League Trophy tour experience with Okocha, Seedorf

The last time a Nigerian player lifted the prestigious UEFA Champions League trophy was over 10 years ago when John Obi Mikel emerged victorious with Chelsea. 

Davido greeting match officials before the kickoff of the Lagos match of the Heineken UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour

Aside from the glitz and glamour that was the hallmark of the trophy tour, Heineken through its loaded two-day activities also passed some salient lessons that would encourage Nigerian youth to aspire to achieve laudable set goals that can be likened to lifting the most-coveted trophy in global club football.

Clarence Seedorf, the trophy tour ambassador, as well as Nigerian legends Austin Jay Jay Okocha and Daniel Amokachi, who are all history makers in their own right, shared experiences that highlighted that there is no shortcut to success except for hard work and dedication.

For the trio, achieving something as great as lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy needs a lot of hard work, discipline and perseverance among other qualities, which, if imbibed, will also help in other spheres of life outside football.

Seedorf, who is one of the most successful players in UEFA Champions League history and the first and currently the only player to have won the trophy with three clubs, shared his inspirational experience that will definitely resonate with everyone that came in contact with him during his short stay in Nigeria.

The Dutch legend had his first experience of lifting the Champions League trophy as a 19-year old playing alongside the Nigerian duo of Finidi George and Kanu Nwankwo at Ajax Amsterdam.

But while the 1995 triumph was the only one for most of his Ajax teammates, Seedorf went on to lift three more titles, the last coming 12 years later in