By: Henry Omo-Ogbemudia
Oredo Ward 1 football team has won the 2025 edition of the Council Chairman Hon. Gabriel Iduseri Football Competition. Ward 1 football team emerged this year’s champions by defeating the Oredo Ward 3 football team at the finals of the football fiesta which saw the 12 wards in Oredo Local Government Area the vying for honours.
In the fiercely contested final match of the football championship held on 15 November at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, the two sides held on to a goaless in the first 45 minutes of the game.
The two teams came into the second of second half of the march determined to clinch the trophy at state. However, the tie was broken after some minutes of play in the second stanta of the match as Afolayan of Ward netted the lone goal of the final match. All efforts by Ward 3 that had a 45% ball possession in the match to equalise were effectively blocked by ward 1 who defended their 1- 0 victory with all the strength and football talents at their disposal.
In remarks shortly before the presentation of the trophy to the winners, Chairman of Oredo Local Government Council, Hon. Gabriel Iduseri thanked the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa. He pointed out that the football competition is part of his programmes to promote youth empowerment and discourage restiveness among.
High point of the event was the presentation of the trophy and cash awards to the winners by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Idahosa.
Ward 1, the winners of the competition went home with the trophy and a cash prize of One Million Naira (N1,000,000), while Ward, the second place team got Five Hundred thousand Naira and the third place team got Two Hundred and Fifty thousand Naira.
Present at the finals of the competition were the state Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, APC state scribe, Mr. Lawrence Okah among other party chieftains.