Alloy Chukwuemeka: Nigerian football needs more private investors like Ottasolo

Well meaning Nigeria and corporate organizations have been charged to invest in Football as a way of creating employment for the teeming youths as well as ensuring positive engagement of young talented players who seek career as future professional Footballers. 

Executive Secretary of the NPFL Club Owners Association of Nigeria  Chief Alloy chukwuemeka made the call on Sunday in Lagos while speaking with newsmen shortly after the draws to usher in the maiden edition of Ottasolo Preseason soccer tournament in Lagos.

Chief Chukwuemeka who was a special guest at the draws ceremony said the likes of Otunba Gabriel Davies, proprietor of Ottasolo FC needed to be encouraged while his passion and investments in football should be emulated by all and sundry.  

He described the Maiden Ottasolo Preseason tournament as another milestone aimed at encouraging Football activities amongst clubs, hence the club owners and NPFL clubs were in the tournament to support and participate in the event. 

The club owners scribe who doubles as a Member of NFF Strategic Studies Committee commended the organizers of the tournament for a transparent draws, urged the participating clubs to play to the rules and  imbibe discipline and spirit of sportsmanship .

The  maiden Ottasolo Preseason soccer  tournament kicks off on Monday at the Legacy pitch of the National stadium Surulere Lagos.

Badawiy: Ottasolo Preseason Tourney will be best in Nigeria

The Coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the 2021 Ottasolo Pre Season Tournament, Mallam Badawiy Bashir has asserted that the objective is to ensure that the tournament becomes the best pre-season competition in Nigeria.

The competition has been scheduled to take place from November 1 to 7 in Lagos. 

Badawiy who is also the General Manager of Kwara United confirmed that 10 teams will take part in its maiden edition.

The Organizing Committee Coordinator noted that the objective is to make the Ottasolo Pre Season Tournament the best in Nigeria. 

He stated that aside the pre season matches that will keep the participating teams busy and for them to gauge their preparations for the commencement of the league season, the first edition of the Ottasolo Pre Season Tournament will have some side attraction. 

"I am delighted to inform you that 10 teams have shown interest to attend the maiden edition of the Ottasolo Pre Season Tournament," Badawiy informed the Media. 

"We would be welcoming teams from majorly Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

"Sunshine Stars, Niger Tornadoes, MFM FC, Kwara United, Lobi Stars, Abia Warriors, Gombe United among others have agreed to take part.

"It is our dream to have Ottasolo Pre Season Tournament rated as the best pre-season competition in Nigeria and so many activities have been put in place to make it a prestigious event. There will be side attractions.

"On our part we are delighted that the competition will kickoff on 1st November in Lagos and it will help the teams to draw up their SWOT analysis before the season commences," he concluded.

The Ottasolo Pre Season Tournament is bankrolled by Mr Gabriel Davies.

Ottasolo Pre-season Tourney: Clubs signify interests to play at prestigious competition

It has been revealed that more Nigeria Professional Football League sides have signified their interest in taking part in the maiden edition of the Ottasolo Pre-Season tournament.

Speaking with Ottasolo Media, the sole financier of the pre-season competition, Gabriel Davies, said apart from clubs like Shooting Stars, MFM, Kwara United and Sunshine Stars, who already declared their intention to be part of the eight-day event, the organisers are already in advanced talk with one of the clubs currently playing on the continent and also some other Nigeria Professional Football League clubs.

“The intention is to have 10 clubs taking part in the pre-season and one of the clubs representing the country on the continent has made it known to us that they want to be part of the tournament,” he said.

“With the season yet to start, it will grant them the avenue to put their team in competitive games which will help them.

“We are also having discussion with some other clubs among which are two clubs who just gained promotion, so hopefully, everything should be sorted soon.”

The former Stationary Stores FC of Lagos added that everything has been put in place for a successful pre-season that will be one of its kind.

It would be recalled that the Ottasolo Pre-season has been scheduled to take place between October 23 and 30 at the Agege ‘Soccer Temple’ Stadium.

Ottasolo Preseason Tourney will serve as hub for talents discovery" - Gabriel Davies

Ottasolo FC Chairman, Otunba Gabriel Davies who is also the brain behind and sole financier of Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament that is set to take place in Lagos has declared his readiness to host the best of Nigeria Professional Football (NPFL) teams in Lagos.

While speaking with Ottasolo Media, the former Stationary Stores FC of Lagos star gave an insight to what is expected at the tournament.

"Yes, we have decided to organize a prestigious pre-season tournament tagged "Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament" first of its kinds in the city of Lagos. 

"We have put every necessary modality in place to prove our readiness to host the best of NPFL teams in the city of Lagos," Davies declared.

"We have put this together in order to promote football and at the same time to provide an avenue for our NPFL teams that are already gearing up preparations to have a befitting competition ahead of the forthcoming season."

"This pre-season will also serve as hub for talents discovery as foreign scouts from renowned clubs would be on ground to discover exceptional players," he explained.

"About four NPFL teams have shown interest and we are still talking to more so that we can have more top teams on ground for the tournament."

He further continued: "Our objective is clear, which is to promote football and create a platform for talented footballers to showcase their talents to the world.

"This is the maiden edition and we want to make it an annual event and we are sure of hosting a befitting pre-season tourney in the heart of Lagos City and all participating teams will surely have something to cheer with at the end of the tournament," the ex Energy of Benin Republic star affirmed.

The Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament will take place from October 23rd to 30th at the Soccer Temple.

It would be recalled that Davies also featured for Nitel FC, Mogas 90 and Dragons during his playing career.

Ottasolo Preseason Tourney: "Gabriel Davies is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring a hitch free event" - Kola Daniel

With eight Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs expected to be part of the maiden edition of Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament, there is no better way for teams hoping to go far this 2021/22 season to prepare for the league than the opportunity being provided by the organisers.

Speaking to exclusivenews.com.ng, Media Aide to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports and Co-ordinator of Ottasolo Preseason Tournament, Kola Daniel said the competition is a dress rehearsal especially for Nigeria Professional Football League clubs before the kick off of the new campaign.

"There is no better way to prepare the clubs for the take off of the league than being involved in a tournament of this magnitude where you have the opportunity of testing newly acquired players’ mettle against tough opponents that you might likely face in the league’.

He went further by saying ‘our hope is to organize a befitting tournament where every participant will be glad they participated and the financier of the event, Mr Gabriel Davies is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring a hitch free event’.

Mr Gabriel David is the owner of Ottasolo football club that just gained promotion to Nigeria National League after just one season in the Nationwide League One.

10 clubs would participate at the maiden edition of the Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament in Lagos.

The likes of Kwara United, MFM FC, Sunshine Stars and Shooting Stars have already been pencilled down for the tournament billed to hold at the Agege Stadium aka The Soccer Temple.

Shooting Stars, four others converge on Soccer Temple for Ottasolo Preseason Tourney

The maiden edition of the Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament will be held in Lagos for top football teams in Nigeria.

According to the Coordinator of the Tournament, Kola Daniel the event is meant to prepare teams for the 2021/2022 season.

The highly respected media practitioner said the competition is aimed at helping to prepare them adequately for the new campaign and give them the opportunity to assess all their new recruits.

He said 23rd to 30th October has been proposed for the competition at Agege Stadium.

Mr Gabriel Davies is the financier of the Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament. He is the Proprietor of Ottasolo International Football Club, a team that will participate in the Nigeria National League next season.

The beauty of Pre-season matches and competitions in Nigeria includes having teams play in superb atmospheres where the players and clubs have a more conducive ambiences to show how good they are.

Pre-season games offer fans the opportunity of glimpsing the true quality of players and teams in Nigeria and this will be the case in Lagos State, when clubs participate at Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament.

Ten clubs have been pencilled down for the tourney which includes Ottasolo International.

 

According to Kola Daniel,  the quartet of Shooting Stars, Kwara United, MFM FC and Sunshine Stars have signified interests in the tournament.

These clubs have engaged in aggressive players recruitments in the last few months and have been fine-tuning preparations for the league. The Ottasolo Pre-season Tournament will be a major avenue to test how they are shaping up as it promises lots of thrills.

"We are good to go as far as organising this competition is concerned. Lagos is in good shape and the good people of Agege await with excitement the top clubs," Kola Daniel told Ottasola Media.

Lagos is a major national football hub, hosting big international football matches and competitions.

"Fans should be ready for good football at the Soccer Temple in this preseason competition. The invited teams all have quality players and with the conducive environment that Agege offers, this is a fantastic opportunity for good football," he added.