By Olivia EKPE
Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has called on the government to recognize and reward athletes who excel in tournaments, regardless of the outcome. He made this appeal while honoring Queen Joseph, a member of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, who recently returned to her school, Fosla Academy, Abuja, after participating in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Queen Joseph, an SS2 student at the Academy, impressed with her skills, scoring three goals and becoming Nigeria’s highest goalscorer at the tournament. Lulu believes that recognizing and rewarding athletes like Joseph will motivate them to strive for greater achievements in future competitions.
“If athletes that excel during tournaments are motivated when they return, they will be propelled to do more and eventually emerge as winners in subsequent editions,” Lulu stated. He added that Fosla Academy remains committed to producing quality players for Nigeria’s various national teams.
To recognize her outstanding performance, Fosla Academy presented Queen Joseph with a cash gift of ₦500,000. In appreciation, Joseph presented Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi with souvenirs from her national team experience.
Queen Joseph expressed her gratitude, saying, “I am very happy with the recognition given to me by the Academy. This has motivated me to continue working hard to excel both in my academics and my football career.”
Fosla Academy, established by Alhaji Sani Lulu Abdullahi, continues to excel in combining education with football development, grooming young talents who represent Nigeria at various levels.
