Shine FC of Akure on Tuesday defeated Academy FC in the last preliminary match of the President Bola Tinubu Sports Festival organised by the Grassroots Movement for Tinubu, Ondo chapter.

The competition, which started on November 6, ended on December 9, ahead of the grand finale, where representatives of all zones will compete for the overall title.

The preliminary rounds of the festival were held across Owo, Ikare, Okitipupa and Ondo. It was concluded in Akure.

The Akure decider, played at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, sports ground, ended 1–1 in regulation time before proceeding to penalties.

Shine FC won the shoot-out 5-4 to qualify as the Akure zone’s representative for the grand finale.

Assistant coach of Shine FC, Henry Owomoyela, attributed the victory to dedication, hard work and the team’s participation in several competitions, which he said enhanced their form and cohesion.

He assured fans that the team would intensify efforts to win the maiden edition of the sports festival.

Coach Friday Rasheed of Academy FC described the match as tough, saying the better side won, while expressing confidence that his team would bounce back.

Meanwhile, the director-general of GMT in Ondo, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, while briefing journalists about the scope of the competition, commended the organising committee for a job well done.

Mr Yusuf-Ogunleye praised the more than 1,000 participants for displaying sportsmanship throughout the event.

“We believe this sports festival will be a continuous one. We will roll out programmes for the young, talented people who have already been discovered. We started one month ago, and we are closing the final zone here in Akure. We look forward to the grand finale in Akure, where all zones will be represented, and winners will emerge,” he said.

(NAN)