The Chairman of Smartcity Football Club, Chief Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye, has spoken candidly about how his humble beginning working with notable grassroots football administrator, Chief Adewale Teluwo, coupled with his foray in the governance of Lagos State – first under President Bola Tinubu as well as other subsequent executive governors of the state – bolstered his courage to birth the wave-making Nigeria National League (NNL) side. The former special assistant on football matters/grassroots sports in Lagos State shares the success story of Smartcity FC within a relative short time, since its launch about six years, in this frank interview captured by MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.
The chairman of Lagos-based Smartcity Football Club, Chief Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye, has shared the stirring story of how his close affinity with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as Chief Adewale Teluwo in the years, opened his ways into football management.
Fondly called Zulu Authority, Zulu Baba Ewe far and wide, Adeboye, in a revealing interview this week, said working closely with President Tinubu (then governor of Lagos State) in a Lagos State Government Agency, Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), and Chief Teluwo, the famous owner of defunct Obanta United, actually boosted his love for children, hence he was able to channel his energy towards raising a novel soccer academy that has since transmuted into a club in the Nigeria National Football League (NNL).
The club noted in its vision statement: “To be the premier grassroots football club in Nigeria, nurturing and developing local talent to achieve international excellence, and inspiring the next generation of footballers to reach their full potential.“
Pressed on his close affinity to football at the grassroots, Adeboye said his love for children was rooted from his own humble beginning but was bolstered when he worked with both President Tinubu and Chief Teluwo.
“Since I was in secondary school and even in primary school and even during my days in the higher institution, I have been closer to children,” Adeboye stated captivatingly in an interview with a Yoruba-based Sports Programme, Oba Ori Odan (king of the pitch), anchored by veteran broadcaster, Yomi Opakunle. “I did not come to this earth to enrich myself, and it has always been my desire to take care of the homeless and poor so that they also can become great men and women in life.
“I was born into a respectable family and everybody who is close to me knows about my philanthropic gestures over the years and I think that is why they call me ‘Zulu Baba Ewe’ because of my love in helping struggling children on the streets so that they can become better members of the society.
“They also call me ‘Zulu Authority’ because if I say something, hardly would it not come to pass. I don’t subscribe to the fact that I’m an authority in the realm of the Almighty God. God is the only authority, not me; but if I say something, God makes it possible,” he explained.
The former school boy player who starred under the famous IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan legend, Moses Otolorin, in his heyday, said he was brought back to his first love – football – after years in the banking hall at the instance of Chief Teluwo as the Assistant Camp Commandant at the now defunct Obanta United Football Club, which later changed to Ibukun Oluwa FC and Vigilante Insurance Professionals (VIP) FC at various times in the 1990s.
“Of course, I came into football management through the efforts of Chief Adewale Teluwo who I regard as the greatest grassroots football administrator in Nigeria,” the 58-year-old continued.
“I can’t really thank Chief Teluwo enough because my odyssey in grassroots football development started from him.
“Of course, many people know me as a disciplinarian especially to the youths and that was why he made me as his team’s assistant camp commandant and, to the glory of God, a lot of young players passed through our hands.
“Players like Festus Odini (a member of the Golden Eaglets that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1993), who worked under me then, is even now a coach with us at SmartCity FC, and several others, including Abiodun Ogebor, Lookman Oshun, Fela Tom Dollar, Godwin Okpara, Taribo West, amongst others.
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“We just have to thank God that my journey in football management started on that note .
“If there is a Nigerian that spent his last kobo on development of football in the grassroots in Nigeria, I don’t think there is anybody greater than Chief Teluwo. “He brought together youngsters from all over Nigeria so that they can play football under us then .
“Though Vigilante Insurance Professionals (VIP) FC never won the domestic league in those years, we were like a third force and a club to be reckoned with because, even as a grassroots team, we were never relegated.”
It was from his foray into football that Adeboye, a grassroots politician, got his breakthrough on a bigger platform as an appointee in KAI when President Tinubu was the first citizen of Lagos State .
Adeboye speaks candidly about working closely with President Tinubu then: “I was first the Provost General of Kai because they knew I don’t condone indiscipline, before being appointed as the Deputy Marshal General of Kai; which was a rare privilege for someone like me who never had a background as a military or a para-military officer.
“In KAI, I made sure we ventured into football too and I’m happy Asiwaju bought into that vision at that time.
“He (Asiwaju Tinubu) is someone that listens to advice and he attended all our youth programmes despite his tight schedule then as the Governor of Lagos State. He is also a sports-loving person to the core because he knows that sports can be a good instrument of change.
“Another person who was also instrumental to my involvement with youth and grassroots football development was His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola (BRF), who took over from Asiwaju as Lagos State Governor.
“In fact, I was the first to be appointed as Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports, especially on football matters immediately BRF came into office because he already knew my background and I think I was the first Nigerian to be so appointed by any governor as SA on football matters.”
Adeboye held the position of SA on Football Matters for a many years under BRF and was elevated as Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and retained the same position under the first tenure of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. It was based on his antecedents that he’s today the Senior Assistant on Grassroots Sports Development to Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh Owan.
Yet, Adeboye’s Smartcity Football Club is gradually becoming a model to follow not only in Lagos but in Nigeria as a whole, following their remarkable performance during last year ‘s Federation Cup where they ruffled feathers and threw out some Nigeria Professional Football League Clubs .
“I’m thankful to God today because I was able to learn so much when I worked with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu when I was in KAI (Kick Against Indiscipline,” the Lagos-born native of Oro in Kwara State further said. “Having worked with Chief Teluwo, Asiwaju Tinubu, as well as other sports-loving governors of Lagos State, I knew it would be a disservice to humanity if I didn’t establish a football club and I must say this was the genesis of Smartcity FC.
“Smartcity Football Club is dedicated to discovering and cultivating football talent from the grassroots level, providing a pathway to professional success through comprehensive training, education, and support,” the Adeboye-led club noted in their mission statement. “We aim to create an inclusive and dynamic environment where young athletes can thrive, fostering a culture of discipline, teamwork, and sportsmanship.
“Our mission is to elevate the standards of football in Lagos and beyond, ensuring our players are equipped to compete on the global stage.”
Formed over six years ago, Adeboye reckoned that SmartCity FC is already fulfilling its vision and mission statement, adding that he would not rest on his oars until the club reaches the top echelon of Nigerian domestic football.
“Of course, Smartcity FC started as an academy with players between 14 and 15 years of age and from there, we graduated them into 16- to 17-year category,” Adeboye, a product of Surulere Secondary School as well as Oro Grammar School and Kwara Polytechnic, Ilorin, where he studied Banking & Finance, further enthused. “Then we featured in the Lagos FA Cup and were bundled out in the second round in our first year.
“In the second year, we reached the final of the Lagos State FA Cup even as an academy club, but we were beaten 3-0 by MFM Football Club and in the third year of our participation in the Lagos FA Cup, we won the trophy for the first time.
“After that we represented Lagos State at the national level and with all humility, I’m proud to say that Smartcity is the first registered academy club in Nigeria to reach the quarter final stage of the NFF Federation Cup and that year, we even defeated Enyimba International FC of Aba who were NPFL champions that year.
“It is also interesting that we beat traditional big clubs like Shooting Stars, Sokoto United and other big clubs in Nigeria that time.”
As far as Smartcity FC is concerned, there is a truism in the saying that ‘age has no barrier in achieving success’. Adeboye explained that the success of the club in his relatively short span of about seven years is something to be proud of.
“Seeing the kind of wok and energy I brought into the club, a lot of people felt we should just go and buy a slot to compete in the NPFL even In our first year in the Nationwide League One (NLO), but our focus was to grow from rock bottom as an academy club to the top of the domestic league,” Adeboye further explained. “In our first year in the NLO, we gained promotion to the Nigeria National League (NNL) and last year, we nearly gained promotion to the NPFL but I think it was not yet our time because we finished fourth in our log.
“This season is going to be our second season in the NNL and we are going to redouble our efforts; and by the grace of God and with the support of our enthusiastic supporters across the world, Smartcity FC shall gain promotion to the NPFL this term,” he surmised.