Chijioke Gabriel
More goodwill has been coming for the Nigeria Professional League Champions, Remo Stars, the latest being Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen’s gesture of a N10m gift to the Ikene the first-ever Nigeria Premier Football League title win, gifting the team a total of N10m. N5m goes to the players while the other N5m is for the technical crew.
Osimhen announced this after placing a personal video call to the team.
Head coach Daniel Ogunmodede confirmed this to newsmen as their feat triggered an outpouring of tributes from the highest quarters.
President Bola Tinubu is one of the top guns to have lauded the feat, describing it as a testament to the hard work, discipline, and unyielding spirit of the players, the coaching crew and the management.
“The historic victory, four years after the team’s promotion to the elite league, is a testament to the hard work, discipline, and unyielding spirit of the players, the coaching crew and the management,” the President stated.
President Tinubu also commended the vision of club chairman Kunle Soname, highlighting the impact of his investment in grassroots football and urging Remo Stars to carry the nation’s hopes into the CAF Champions League with the same undaunting spirit and focus.
Similarly, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun paid tribute, calling the triumph an unprecedented feat in the history of the state. In a statement signed by his media adviser, the governor said, “It is my utmost delight that the age-long perseverance and consistency of Remo Stars Football team have eventually paid off at the national level and to the admiration of every Nigerian.” He applauded the club and celebrated its emergence as the first privately owned NPFL champion since Ocean Boys in 2006.
The Confederation of African Football hailed the victory as a moment of “immense pride” not only for Remo Stars but also for the entire southwest region, which had not produced a league champion since Julius Berger’s 2000 success.