Soccer for Peace: MOP Stars FC, Flying Eagles Trade Tackles

As part of efforts to discover and develop emerging talents and use football to promote peaceful coexistence, MOP Stars FC, an Abuja-based youngsters club have played a fascinating friendly match with the Flying Eagles-Nigeria men’s national under-20 football team.

The two teams traded tackles at the Main bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, a fiery contest that narrowly ended in favour of the national team.

Although the U20 Eagles edged MOP Stars FC 2-1, football enthusiasts, supporters and other stakeholders at the stadium hailed the Peace Boys for showing courage, character and tactical discipline in the game.

They lauded the management of MOP Stars FC Academy for raising football youngsters with the courage and resilience to face a more exposed U20 national team, adding that the feat was an indication that the club was nurturing the next generation of national football ambassadors.

In a post-match interview, coach of the Peace Boys,Victor Noshiri, described the performance of his team as fantastic, adding that “holding the Flying Eagles to 2-1 is a very big thing for us and the game was really nice.

“It was a high intensity game, and the boys really fought very hard, I am so impressed with their performance today,”he said.

Also speaking, the team’s captain, Edeh Ernest said, “ We return all glory to God for an injury-free game and for the score line. Of course, the U20 team is supposed to be the best in the country at this level because they are selected from different clubs by the NFF to represent the country on the global stage.

He added that “We believe in ourselves and we are going to work harder to come back stronger.”

Dr Suleiman Adejoh, president of MOP Stars FC, commended the spirit of sportsmanship that characterized the game, stating that the match was part of efforts to foster national unity and peaceful coexistence through soccer.

“The NFF deemed it fit to bring people together in order to unite and to have fun, and that is why they staged this march, and to also see what our boys can do together in the near future.

“MOP Stars has come to stay as a good team in the Federal Capital Territory and by extension Nigeria, and today’s march has defined the relationship between us and the national team.

“The Messengers of Peace (MOP) Stars Football Academy was born out of the need to preach peace in Nigeria through sports and engage young Nigerians positively, while also contributing to the development of football.

“ As you can see, the peace boys came from different states, a testament to our belief in even development of talents across Nigeria,” he said.