The 2013 edition of Prophet Abiola Adebisi Cup, a football tournament to be played by all branches of Christ Miracle Church Ministry, CMCM, will hold before the year runs out.
Prophet Adebisi, who is the sponsor of the tournament, said the championship is one of his plans to help in the development of Nigerian youths and an opportunity to give back to the society, which produced him.
“Our branches across the country will assemble their teams and play amongst themselves, and we shall host the teams that qualify from the zones for the finals at our Headquarters in Lagos”, the Prophet told eyeonthesports.com at the CMCM’s main auditorium in Akiode, Ojodu area of Lagos.
“The tournament is part of our priority as a church to help the youths in our society to develop their talent. We are targeting the youths because they are leaders of tomorrow, and they need to be taken care of in such a way that they will actualise their potentials and become useful to the society in the future. So, the tournament will be used to lure them away from all forms of social vices”, Prophet Adebisi said.
Coach of CMCM, Henry Amatokwu disclosed that the church will use the championship to discover more players for its pet club, the Champions of Fire Football Club.
According to him, the best players from their branches would be selected during the Adebisi Cup.
The Champions of Fire Football Club, kicked off their end of the year football programme on Monday, 25 November, 2013, with an opening match of the Extra Joss tournament against the Amazing Grace Football team at Jalisco Stadium in Oshodi, Lagos State.
On the forthcoming Prophet Adebisi Cup, Coach Amatokwu praised their leader for using his ministry to discover and nurture young footballers, who would do the nation proud in the near future.
Golden Eaglets goalkeeper, Dele Alampasu, who won the U-17 World Cup with the Nigerian team in October, was a product of the CMCM football club, while current captain of CMCM team in Lagos, Shola Akinlolu is one of the players discovered by the church.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Joseph Bernard, defenders Tope Jimoh and Ashade Gainiyu are among the players who will represent the Lagos branch of CMCM in the annual Prophet Adebisi Cup.