Remo Stars retain title as 2023 MTN/NPFL/LaLiga U-15 ends

A Lone goal by Opeyemi Yusuf gave Remo Stars U-15 team the title for the second year, as the 2023 edition of MTN/NPFL/LaLiga U-15 tournament ended in Ikenne, Ogun State, on Friday.

The Remo young lads defeated hard fighting Plateau United in the entertaining final played at Remo Stars Stadium. Yusuf, who scored 10 goals, including a hat trick to emerge as the tournament highest goal scorer, set a new record as the first player to score in all the games at the tournament. He got a cash reward of N100,000 from MTN.

Both teams clashed for the second time this year after their first meeting in the group stage, which Remo Stars won 2-1. Remo Stars had defeated 3SC in the final last season to win their first title.

Earlier, Sunshine Stars U-15 defeated El-Kanemi Warriors 1-0 in the third place match. Speaking with The Guardian shortly after the final, former Super Eagles midfielder, Mutiu Adepoju, who is LaLiga Ambassador in Nigeria, said that there was great improvement in this year’s tournament.

According to the organisers, over 1,000 players have played in the tournament, and many coaches trained since its commencement in 2015. It was the second time a team is retaining the title, as Katsina United won it in 2019 and 2021. There was no tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemics.

Remo Stars won all its matches in the group stage this year. Abubakar Sidik of El Kanemi Warriors won the Articulate Award, while Moses Chuwang of Plateau United won the best goalkeeper award.

Goal of the tournament award was won by Sumfat Julius of Plateau United, and he got N100, 000 cash from telecommunication giant, MTN.

The young lad declared before the spectators at the Award ceremony saying: “I go buy land with my N100,000. The Most Valuable