Ondo All Stars Qualify For National Championship, Unveil Two Patrons

By Kanu Samuel 

Ondo State All Stars have secured qualification for the National All Stars Football Championship scheduled to take place in Lagos later in the year.

The team earned their spot after finishing as runners-up at the South West Veterans All Stars Qualifiers held at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Ondo All Stars began their campaign with a 1-2 loss to Ekiti All Stars, before drawing 2-2 with host team, Ogun All Stars. They revived their qualification hopes with a narrow 1-0 victory over Oyo All Stars.

Ogun’s 2-0 win over Ekiti in their second match further boosted Ondo’s chances of making the final, where they faced Ogun All Stars once again. The final ended in a goalless draw in regulation time, with Ogun triumphing 3-0 in a penalty shootout to emerge champions of the South West Veterans All Stars Championship. Both Ogun and Ondo State All Stars, as champion and first runner-up respectively, qualified for the national championship.

Four states — Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, and host Ogun — participated in the competition, representing the South West region.

At the grand finale, the Ondo State Veterans All Stars unveiled two new patrons: Chief Segun David, CEO of 1475 Hotel & Lounge, and a business man , Alhaji Ibrahim Dende (IDB).

President of the Ondo State Veterans All Stars, Hon. Abayomi Adebayo, commended the team for their spirited effort in securing qualification. He assured that the team will continue to grow in unity and improve on all fronts.

“We will continue to keep our retired and not tired veterans fit for the love of the game”

He also congratulated the newly inaugurated patrons, expressing confidence that their inclusion would yield fruitful outcomes for the association.

“Let me thank and appreciate all the members of Ondo State All Stars for their dedication, commitment, and continued support for the current executive team,” he said.