By Abdulrasheed Adelakun
“It was a childhood dream watching Chief MKO Abiola at the Stadium in the days of Abiola Babas”
The owner of FC Nilayo and CEO Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Bukola Olopade had revealed that the late Pillar of Sports in Africa, Bashorun MKO Abiola was the one who inspired him to become a football Club owner.
Olopade came out with the revelation while speaking with newsmen at the weekend, after his team, FC Nilayo narrowly beat the high flying ‘Oluyole Warriors’, 3SC of Ibadan 1-0 at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Olopade who is the “Jagunmolu” of Gbagura land (a major clan of Egba extraction, South West Region of Nigeria), the same chieftaincy position occupied by the late business mogul, said, “It was a childhood dream watching Chief MKO Abiola at the Stadium in the days of Abiola Babas and Concord football Club, to own a professional football team, and here we are to the glory of God”
The Ogun State former Youth and Sports Commissioner said apart from the pecuniary gains, he is driven by passion for the game and in being able to take boys off the streets, he said his fulfilment is in watching FC Nilayo play, whether home or away, watching from anywhere in the world.
When asked about “getting involved in the politics of the game”, Olopade popularly called ‘Ozogbula’ in his usual frank mien interpreted that to mean cheating and said he would never get himself involved in cheating to win games.
“Even as a Commissioner in this State, I never encouraged cheating, and I resigned as the CEO of NNL when some corrupt tendencies were being mentioned,” he said rather than pay bribe to referees to win games, he’ll instruct Nilayo FC’s management to spend the fund on the upkeeps of the Players which would bring about their utmost commitment
Olopade whose Nilayo Sports Management Limited does Marathon races across the country revealed that all they aim for at the end of this NNL’s season is to maintain their status in the second-tier League and reorganise for better placement next season.
He further revealed that FC Nilayo specifically go out to sign young and talented Players, “imagine selling a Player for 1million pounds, we would have recouped all we’ve spent for years”, he concluded
With the win over 3SC on Sunday, FC Nilayo are one step above the relegation zone, with 19 points from 15 matches while 3SC still maintain a nine-point lead on the summit of the table, with 35 points from the same number of matches.
