Sunshine Stars Football Club of Akure on Wednesday won the 2023 Ondo State FA Cup competition after thrashing Adamimogo FC 4-0.
The club’s female team, Sunshine Queens FC, also trashed FC Unity of Ondo City 8-0 to win the competition’s female version.
READ ALSO: Sunshine Stars qualify for Ondo State Federation Cup’s semi-finals
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that by these victories both teams retained the FA Cup they won in 2022.
The encounter between Sunshine Stars and Cup debutants Adamimogo FC, decided at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure, saw forward Jide Jimoh scoring a hat-trick.
The first half of the encounter had ended goalless before Jimoh was thrown into the fray in the second half.
He went on to break the deadlock in the 53rd minute after a beautiful team play.
Jimoh made it two for his side in the 58th minute to relax the nerves of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side.
Chukwudi Stephen made it 3-0 before Jimoh completed his hat-trick from the penalty kick spot after he was brought down inside the box.
NAN reports that Sunshine Stars and Adamimogo FC will now represent Ondo State in the National Federation Cup in the male category.
Similarly, the Sunshine Queens and FC Unity of Ondo City will represent the state in the female category.
The Acting Chairman of Ondo State Football Association (FA), Gabriel Aborowa, while congratulating Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens, urged more teams to register for the competition’s next edition.
Aborowa said more participating teams in the FA Cup at the state level would lead to exposure of talents at the grassroots.
He assured football club proprietors that the current FA board led by Dele Ajayi would organise more competition to discover budding talents across the state’s 18 local government areas.
“The FA will continue to improve and organise more competitions, like the Governor’s Cup, state league and others, to support the state’s representatives to be the best,” Aborowa said.
Ondo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Bamidele Ologunloluwa, said he was happy that both state-owned teams would be featuring in the Federation Cup at the national level.
“Winning the competition will energise the teams and it’s a form of motivation for the players and their coaching crews.
“It means they can become whatever they are targeting for themselves.
“We won’t take anything for granted. We will continue to train and work harder and pray God for more success,” he said.
(NAN)
