Stafford FC yesterday, Saturday September 13, 2026, emerged champions of the second edition of the Lincoln Heights Hotel Polo Bar 5-a-Side Football Competition, defeating Habletic FC 1–0 in a keenly contested final played at Royal Palm Schools, Kulende Area, Ilorin, Kwara State.
The competition, which brought together young footballers from the Kulende community and adjoining areas, was organised as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Lincoln Heights Hotel, with the objective of promoting youth engagement, community unity and grassroots football development.
The final climaxed an exciting tournament that produced entertaining matches and showcased promising talents among the participating teams.
In the semi-finals, Unique Okelele FC played out a thrilling 3–3 draw with Stafford FC before Stafford prevailed 5–4 on penalties to book their place in the final.
In the other semi-final, Habletic FC secured a convincing 2–0 victory over Oscar FC to earn a place in the championship match.
Stafford FC subsequently completed their impressive campaign with a narrow 1–0 victory over Habletic FC in the final to lift the trophy.
Among dignitaries and personalities who graced the competition were Magaji Ajelanwa Community, Ilorin, Mallam AbdulSalam Murtala, former Kwara State Director of Sports, Mallam Tunde Kazeem, Dr. Sulaiman Rotimi, and ACP Bola Badewole.
Stafford FC dominated the individual awards, with Owolabi Lukman emerging as the tournament’s Highest Goal Scorer after netting 12 goals.
Ahmed Selim of Habletic FC was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP), while Ismail Azeez of Stafford FC won the Best Goalkeeper award. Another Stafford FC player, Kehinde Kazeem, was adjudged the Best Young Player of the competition.
The Best Coach award went to Haji of Unique FC of Okelele.
Speaking after the final, Engr. Olabode Jolayemi, Director of Lincoln Heights Hotel, said the competition was conceived to demonstrate the hotel’s commitment to its CSR responsibilities and contribute positively to the development of the host community.
According to him, the tournament provides an avenue to bring young people in Kulende together through sports, while creating a positive alternative to activities that could expose them to crime and other social vices.
Jolayemi stressed that beyond the football itself, the initiative was designed to foster friendship, unity, discipline and a sense of belonging among youths in the area.
He expressed satisfaction with the success of the second edition, while commending the participating teams, organisers, officials, community stakeholders and supporters for contributing to the success of the tournament.
The competition was organised by a committee chaired by Ganiyu Bamidele Ajadi, with Lekan Olanrewaju serving as Technical Director.
Other members of the Organising Committee were Ariyibi Saheed, Nurudeen Kenny, Samuel Balogun, Aturu Machael, Yahaya AbdulSalam and Abdullateef Samanja.
The committee members were subsequently honoured at a reception held at the Polo Bar of Lincoln Heights Hotel, in recognition of their contributions to the successful staging of the tournament.
The organisers expressed optimism that the competition would continue to grow in subsequent editions and become a sustainable platform for discovering grassroots football talents, while strengthening community relations and youth development in Kulende and beyond.
