Former international and Omoruyi FC coach, Loveday Omoruyi, has praised the Bet9ja Foundation-sponsored Ex-Internationals Cup for its positive impact on his health and its role in uncovering promising young football talents.
Omoruyi made the remarks after his side secured qualification for the Round of 16 of the competition following a tense 2-1 aggregate victory over Oguntuase FC.
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Having won the first leg 1-0 away from home, Omoruyi FC were held to a 1-1 draw in the return leg at Mushin, Lagos, but still progressed to the next stage of the tournament.
Speaking with Sports247 after the match, the experienced coach admitted that the contest was much tougher than expected despite carrying a first-leg advantage into the fixture.
“It was a very tense game,” Omoruyi said. “People thought it was going to be easier because we won the first leg away from home, but football doesn’t work that way.”
” The boys had to fight and earn the result.”
The coach revealed that his team is largely made up of teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18, stressing that player development remains his primary objective rather than winning at all costs.
“As you can see, our boys are very young. Most of them are between 15 and 18 years old. I’m not really bothered if we don’t win every game. What matters is that they play the football we teach them and continue to develop.”
“You never can tell, an Under-17 invitation can come, an opportunity to play in Europe can come. That is why we focus on helping these young players grow.”
Omoruyi also commended the officiating during the encounter and expressed hope that future matches would maintain similar standards.
“If officiating is fair, any team can win. The referee did his best and I believe the officiating was fair. We hope to get the same level of fairness in our next game.”
Beyond football development, the former international highlighted the personal health benefits he has gained from participating in the competition.
“I hardly go out unless it is very important, but since this competition started, I have been jogging, exercising and coming to the field regularly to do what I love doing.”
“It has helped my health a lot. My blood pressure has reduced and I’m eating better now. The competition has brought me back to an active lifestyle.”
According to Omoruyi, the Ex-Internationals Cup has also provided a valuable platform for identifying talented youngsters who can be recommended for Nigeria’s youth national teams.
“It exposes some of these good boys that we can recommend to the Under-17 and Under-20 teams. We are not interested in bringing older players just because we want to win. We believe in developing young talents.”
Omoruyi FC will now shift attention to their Round of 16 encounter as they continue their quest for glory in the Bet9ja Foundation Ex-Internationals Cup.
