BY SUNDAY AKINTOYE
Vice Chairman of Lagos State Football Association LSFA, Adedotun Coker has tasked the players and coaches to be of good conduct when Rising Football League kicks off next month.
The Rising Stars Football League in conjunction with Badagry Divisonal Football Association BDFA would begin next months across five centres in Badagry divison.
This league is the first of its kind in Lagos with 96 teams confirmed for the league.
Coker in his welcome address at the draws held on Wednesday in Lagos urged the participating teams not to see the league a do or die affairs rather they should see the league as a developmental where young players would be discovered and come to the limelight.
Coker who is aware of the sum of N11million naira at stake for the winners and other benefits attached to the league insisted that the game should be played according to the rules and regulations.
“Let me first and foremost commend the organisers of the Rising Stars Football League and leadership of Badagry Divisional Football Association BDFA led by Dr Martins Osondu for this initiative particularly the sponsor who happened to be the Rising Stars Football League management.
“From what i see in this league, i implore the participants not to take the game as a do or die affairs rather they should parade the players that would be marketable for the organisers at the end of the league, “he said.
Corroborating Coker stance, Osondu said the league would be played under strict rules and regulations saying that the era of coaches, players or fans harassing match officials during or after the match is gone.
He revealed that all the teams would be giving level playing ground but noted that any team violate the rules or forment trouble would be sanctioned accordingly.
“The league would be played under tigh security and all matches would be played in various venues in Badagry division.We purposely select some army barracks for venues as part of our security strategies so we are waiting to see any club misbehave during and after the match,such club would be severely punished,”he said.
Speaking on behalf of sponsor, Gerald Emeofa gave the reasons for staging the league in Lagos after successful one in Abuja.
He said there are many young talented footballers in the state amd secondly they want to give the state an opportunity for the young footballers to showcase their hidden talents.
He also revealed that all the league matches would be live streaming in all match venues as part of the plans to make their foreign scouts follow the league and scout for the good players whose their service needed in European clubs.
