Following their sterling performance during their tour of Accra, Ghana, the Oyo State Government has praised the Ilaji Soccer Academy players and their officials for doing the state and the nation proud in the West African country.

The state’s Commissioner for Youth and Sports Yomi Oke while commenting on the academy’s tour of Ghana praised the team, who played four matches in six days while on the tour.

The academy, which comprises secondary schools in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of the state, won two matches and drew two – scoring nine goals in the process.

The Ilaji U-15 boys played Abu FC, a second division team in Ghana, who currently lead the table with 10 points. They also played other teams.

Oke commended the boys for proving that football talents abound in the state, adding that if properly harnessed would make the state a breeding ground for football talents in Nigeria.

“I want to congratulate the owner of Ilaji Soccer Academy, Dotun Sanusi, for committing his resources into a venture in which other well-to-do people like him don’t see as a lucrative venture. But because he is a lover of humanity, Sanusi is more concerned with the positive changes the academy would bring into the lives of the boys as well as their families,” he said.

“Thus, I am glad that the boys are beginning to show signs that they are ready to grab the opportunities the academy offers, which will liberate them from poverty. I want to congratulate the boys, their officials and the owner for representing the state as well as the country well throughout their stay in Accra.”

Also, Abu FC coach Osei Mensah commended the players for playing a highly tactical match against his team despite their young age.

He predicted that Nigeria would soon be the powerhouse of African and world football if the country’s football administrators could groom the boys together for a longer period.