Kehinde Ayinde, a product of Kwara Football Academy, netted the first goal of the Emir of Ilorin Cup, marking a historic start to the tournament following a grand opening ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Secondary School in Ilorin.
The opening ceremony commenced at around 2 pm Nigerian time, preceding the kickoff of the opening match between Unilorin Warriors and the team from Kwara Polytechnic, both of which were hosted at Queen School on the same day.
The game concluded with a 1-0 victory for Unilorin Warriors, with Kehinde Ayinde, a former player for the Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles, striking the lone goal during the first half.
Kehinde’s goal etched his name into the history of the Emir of Ilorin’s Cup, an event organized by AbdulRasak Owolabi Wopa and his team.
During the match, a surprise visit from Governor AbdulRaman AbdulRasak, the Executive Governor of Kwara State, became the highlight of the event.
Following the game, Governor AbdulRasak presented the Man of the Match award to Kehinde Ayinde and offered words of encouragement and appreciation to the tournament’s organizers, led by Owolabi Wopa, the former Vice Chairman of Kwara United and FA Chairman of Ilorin West.
In a post-match interview with Pristinegist, Kehinde Ayinde dedicated his goal and the Man of the Match award to his teammates and well-wishers.
Notable dignitaries in attendance included the Leader of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Barrister Mogaji, and Chairman of the Kwara Commission, Bola Mogaji, Shittu Rukayat, member of house of assembly representing Owode Onire state constituency of Asa Local Government Area; Balogun Alanamu, deputy rector of Kwara Poly, Register of Unilorin, among others.
Stay tuned for further updates as more matches are set to kick off tomorrow morning at the Kwara Football Academy Pitch in Ilorin, Kwara State.
