Management and playing staff of Junior Lions Legacy Football Club, Gboko, have felicitated its founder and chairman Barr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah, mon on his birthday anniversary
In a statement jointly signed by the Team Coordinator, Samuel Aindigh, Corporate Communications Co-ordinator, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, Head Coach, Terfa Vihishima (Antse), Technical Crew, Aóndofa Akósu and Terna Dzua (Obadiah), they described him a Icon who has contributed sporting development in the state.
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The statement reads “You are such a great and iconic figure, one who has revived the most treasured legacy of the ageless footballing culture of the people of Benue State which was anchored in Gboko under the BCC Lions Football Club in the 80s and 90s.
“Junior Lions was the feeder team, the La Masia, of BCC Lions FC which was birthed under the mentorship of late Coach Zegekwen, who sadly didn’t live long enough to see his proteges go on to strut the stuff he taught them on the global stage of football.
“Junior Lions products not only emerged to form a major component of the parent club, BCC Lions, in its hey days, but also went on to represent Nigeria on several stages of international football.
“They also played professional football both in the Nigerian domestic league and in foreign leagues across the world making a name for themselves and keeping alive the flame of the great Benue footballing culture.
“But, alas!, the famed Junior Lions went into extinction with the downturn of fortunes of its parent club, BCC Lions FC, when the sponsoring entity, Benue Cement Company, went defunct after been sold off to Dangote Cement.
“But decades later, it has pleased you to revive that proud legacy of Junior Lions, having been one of its earliest products who played under the quintessential Coach Zegekwen.
“You have invested quantum of your personal resources in millions of naira to bring that precious dream of developmental football back to life in the form of Junior Lions Legacy Football Club, based in Gboko.
“You have retraced the steps taken by late Coach Zegekwen to identify footballing talents at their young raw primary stages and process them into the secondary stage to make them fit and ready for professional careers in football.
“Your dream is a developmental process tailored in line with global best standards which emphasize a strong academic background for all players, to bring them to the levels of the current global footballing systems which are mostly all Hi-Tech and ICT based.
“And to drive this vision, you have brought together some of your playing mates in the Junior Lions of old who went on to pursue both playing and coaching careers.
“You have revived the Junior Lions dream and together with members of the old Junior Lions family, you are building a new Junior Lions family to sustain the Junior Lions Legacy.
“You are an icon, you are a great man and you are a statesman.
“You are the Lead Ambassador of the Junior Lions Legacy, and on this day of the anniversary of your birth, we at the Junior Lions Legacy Football Club say, Happy Birthday Anniversary, Chairman.
“May the years ahead of you be plenteous, and rich in both spiritual and temporal fruits, under the protection and guidance of the Most High God Almighty, in Jesus’ Mighty and Holy Name. Amen.
“Remain blessed, dear Chairman, you and your family and all that concerns you.”
