In a major morale-boosting gesture ahead of the highly anticipated football final at the Gateway Games 2024, Engr. Nurudeen AdeyemI Balogun, Founder of ENACT and Board of Trustees (BOT) Member of TETFUND, North Central, has pledged a whopping ₦1 million to the Kwara State football team should they defeat host state Ogun and win their first-ever gold medal in football since the inception of the National Sports Festival in 1973.
The crucial final match is scheduled to hold tomorrow, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena, Abeokuta, with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m.
The announcement was made through Olaide Ahli, President of the Kwara Development Group (KDG) and a passionate advocate for grassroots sports development in the state. According to him, the financial promise is designed to further motivate the players to chase history and win Kwara State’s first-ever gold medal in football since the National Sports Festival began in 1973.
Engr. Nurudeen, a consistent backer of youth empowerment initiatives across Kwara, described the team’s journey as “inspiring” and charged them to seize the moment and make the state proud.
Led by Coach Ezekiel, Team Kwara has been impressive throughout the tournament, bouncing back from an opening-day loss to Kano and defeating Kaduna 1-0 in the semifinals to book their place in the final.
All eyes are now on Abeokuta as Kwara State hopes to rewrite history and lift the long-awaited football gold at the nation’s biggest sporting event.
