Ado Salisu
The Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Shehu Abubakar, has urged young footballers participating in the 2026 Gombe Emir’s Cup competition to take advantage of the tournament as a platform to showcase their talents and attract opportunities on the global stage.
The monarch made the call during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Gombe Emir’s Cup, tagged “King’s Cup,” held at the Pantami Stadium in Gombe. The tournament was organised and sponsored by Hon. Ahmad Shuaibu Gara Gombe, Chief Executive Officer of Green White Green.
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Represented by the Wakilin Birnin Gombe, Alhaji Dalhatu Babayo, the Emir described the competition as a valuable avenue for discovering talented players who could build successful football careers both within and outside Nigeria.
He encouraged participants from across the state to demonstrate discipline, sportsmanship, and unity throughout the championship, noting that such values are essential to the success of the tournament.
The Emir also commended Hon. Ahmad Shuaibu Gara Gombe for investing in youth development through sports and called for the organisation of more sporting activities to engage young people positively while promoting peace and social cohesion across the state.
Speaking at the event, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, represented by NFF Executive Committee member Timothy Heman Magaji, described the Emir’s Cup as a significant football competition.
He pledged the federation’s support for the organisers and reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with stakeholders to advance football development across the country.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the tournament sponsor, Hon. Ahmad Shuaibu Gara Gombe, expressed gratitude to the Gombe State Government, the Gombe Emirate Council, and other stakeholders for their support in ensuring a successful opening ceremony.
He appealed for continued support as the competition progresses through the preliminary and knockout stages and pledged to sustain the tournament as an annual event.
According to him, the championship is part of efforts to promote football development while fostering unity, peace, and healthy competition among the emirates in the state.
The opening ceremony attracted prominent personalities, traditional title holders, and football stakeholders from within and outside Gombe State.
In the opening match of the competition, Gombe Emirate and Nafada Emirate played out a goalless draw. Organisers said preliminary matches will commence in the coming days.
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The event featured the official declaration of the tournament open, marking the beginning of what is expected to be a keenly contested championship.