Nigeria’s latest football club, 1472 FC, is coming to revolutionise the country’s club football ecosystem, chief operating officer of the club, Dr. Segun Sanni, has said.
1472 FC was officially unveiled to the public in Lagos yesterday with the owners promising to use it as a platform to further engage youths in football and entertainment.
The club will be competing in the second tier, Nigeria National League (NNL), which is expected to kick off this month.
At the unveiling attended by prominent residents of Surulere, Lagos, Sanni revealed that the club have their base in area, but will play their home matches in the NNL at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, pending the completion of renovation work at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
On the choice of club name, 1472 FC, Sanni explained that it was coined from the year when Portuguese explorer, Rui de Sequeira, landed in Lagos and named the area near city, Lagos or Lago de Curamo, meaning Lake of Curamo.
“We’ve named the club so because a Portuguese explorer gave Lagos that name that year and we feel it is fitting to do so,” he said.
He explained that 1472 FC has a feeder (youth team) and is working on its women’s team, adding that the club plans to also take off with their academy in January, 2024.
Among Surulere’s influential persons at the event were actor turned politician and Lagos House of Assembly member, Desmond Elliott, Abiodun Orekoya and Surulere local council chairman, Sulaiman Bamidele Yusuf, who offered their support for the take-off of 1472.
Elliot said: “It is a good time to have a football club in Surulere. From inception, we have been involved with the plan and it is good to see it come to reality”.
The club will be run professionally from management to players.”
Orekoya said the vision to set the club up in Surulere is good as the town is “home of football in Nigeria.”
“Surulere is the home of football in Nigeria and I am glad that you are bringing that back now with this club. I want this to become the best club in Nigeria in the nearest future. These gentlemen have a good vision as it concerns the formation of this club,” Orekoya said.
Yusuf said: “I am happy to see this happen during my administration. This is the sports city and it has two stadia recognised by FIFA. Football is not a small business; it is big and 1472 FC has come to stay and will open the doors for others to follow in other communities.”
1472 FC have a major sponsor in Tingo.
