By Ado Salisu
Former Super Eagles captain and Milo Ambassador, Ahmed Musa, has pledged ₦1.8 million as personal cash rewards for the top three teams at the ongoing Milo Under-13 Football Tournament in Kano State.
The final of the competition is scheduled for Thursday at the Ahmed Musa Sports Arena, Kano, where the participating young footballers will battle for the championship.
Under Musa’s reward scheme, the winners will receive ₦1 million, while the runners-up will get ₦500,000 and the third-placed team ₦300,000.
The tournament sponsor, Nestlé Milo, has also provided additional prize money of ₦500,000 for the champions, ₦300,000 for the runners-up and ₦200,000 for the third-placed team.
The combined rewards are expected to further motivate the young players and underscore the importance of investment in grassroots football development.
Speaking ahead of the final, Musa, who previously served as general manager and player of Kano Pillars Football Club, said his decision to support the tournament was driven by the need to revive school sports and create opportunities for young talents to develop their football skills.
He said sustained investment in school and grassroots competitions remained critical to discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian football stars.
Musa also called for greater involvement of corporate organisations in grassroots sports, saying such support would help identify and develop young players capable of representing Nigeria at national and international levels.
“God has blessed Nigeria with abundant, skilful and talented players who need encouragement and support to project the image of the country,” he said.
The former national team captain commended Nestlé Milo for its continued investment in grassroots football and urged other corporate organisations to emulate the company by supporting youth sports development.
A total of 16 teams have participated in the tournament, with the young players competing for the championship and the accompanying prizes.
Beyond the financial rewards, the competition is expected to give the players valuable exposure and competitive experience at an important stage of their development.
The closing ceremony is expected to attract personalities from the sporting and corporate sectors, including Milo Category Manager, Gilbert Teenaboah Koduah, and the company’s Sports Marketing Manager, Mrs Funmilola Oyewole, among other dignitaries.
With Musa’s intervention adding further incentives to the competition, Thursday’s final is expected to be not only a contest for the trophy but also a celebration of youth talent, school sports and efforts to rebuild Nigeria’s football development pipeline from the grassroots.
