Benedict Akwuegbu Fc Appears To Be The New Bride Of Plateau Football
Several grassroot clubs and academies exist on the highland of the Nigerian Plateau, but one is poised to take Nigerian football by storm.
Indeed one of the few local sides that will likely take Nigerian football by the scruff of the neck soonest is Benedict Akwuegbu football club, a side owned and financed by former Nigerian International, Benedict “The Austrian Bomber” Akwuegbu.
The team is the emerging force in grassroot football on the Jos high latitudinal topography. Having narrowly missed qualification to the Nigerian second tier national league to FC Rahbam, it has galvanized itself from that setback to forge ahead.
On Thursday, the 21st of March 2024, they will take on Propel FC of Mista Ali in the quarter final of the Plateau State federation cup at the new Jos stadium by 2pm with sight in the last four against Plateau united, just as they are also through to the last eight of the Plateau State Pre season soccer tournament involving lower national league sides in the state.
Benedict Akwuegbu, having benefitted immensely from grassroot football which brought him to national and international stardom is trying to give back to the society and profession that made him.
Akwuegbu started with Greater Tomorrow Academy (now Junior Elkanemi of Jos) in the mid eighties, he progressed to Mighty Jets international after been spotted by the late Sebastian “Sabara” Brodericks as he became the youngest member of the Scotland 89′ Under -17 World Cup Golden Eaglets team of Nigeria, then dubbed “The School Boy International” as a 14 year old Junior Secondary School 2 Student of St Murumba College Jos, a school famed for producing notable Nigerian internationals, like Segun Odegbami, Sam Garba Okoye, Mikel Obi, Sunday Mba, Obinna Nsofor, Patrick Mancha amongst others.
Akwuegbu took his craft to Europe and featured for Belgian side, Eentract Aalst, Austrian Wien, Karlsruhe and Bayer Leverkusen both of Germany, as well as playing for the Flying Eagles and Super Eagles of Nigeria, where he won an African Nations Cup Silver in 2000. Don’t be surprised when Benedict Akwuegbu FC stings its way to the top echelon of Nigerian football in the nearest future.
*Jerry Udoh*
writes from Jos, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria.
