The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) football team emerged winners of the 35th edition of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) All Financial institutions Football Tournament.
In the final match played on Saturday night at the Pantami stadium in Gombe, FIRS edged Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 1-0 to emerge champions.
Leonard Pankyes scored the only goal in the keenly contested match in the 20th minute.
The victorious team took home N2m cash prize while the runners-up smiled home with N1.5 million.
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Unity Bank finished third after they defeated Bubayero Microfinance Bank 1-0 and earned a cash prize of N1m just as Bubayero who placed fourth received N500,000.
Represented by the CBN Controller in Gombe, Shehu Alhaji Goringo, the Governor of the apex bank, Mr Godwin Emefiele said the tournament which began in 1979 is part of the organisation’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
He said by sponsoring the tournament annually, CBN was contributing to the development of football in Nigeria.
Emefiele added that the competition has, over the years, served as an avenue for young football-playing bankers to become full professionals and national team players.
According to him, some decorated soccer heroes like Kanu Nwankwo, Henry Nwosu and Stephen Keshi had participated in the competition before representing Nigeria at several national and international competitions.
Meanwhile, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State who was represented by the Executive Chairman of Gombe State Sports Commission, Dr Larry Daniel, commended CBN and NFF for staging the finals of the competition in the state.
The Governor said the state is ever ready to welcome any initiative that would bring the development of any sector and improvement in the well-being of residents of the state.
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