Former Green Eagles and Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) star, Dr. Felix Owolabi Akinloye MON, has dismissed the notion that supernatural forces (juju) influence football, emphasizing that hard work, discipline, and diligence are the real determinants of success in the game.
Speaking at the Ibadan Football Council’s (IFC) Pre-Season Seminar, Owolabi noted that while some may believe in juju, he personally does not subscribe to it.
He urged club owners, coaches, and players in attendance to choose morally upright role models whose lives they could study and emulate.
The football legend, who revealed that Brazilian icon Pelé was his role model, also acknowledged that he learned valuable virtues from Nigerian football greats, Chief Segun Odegbami and the late midfield maestro, Mudashiru Lawal.
In a goodwill message, former Super Eagles midfielder, Chief Mutiu Adepoju, commended the Ibadan Football Council, led by Mogaji Rotimi Alli, for organizing the seminar.
Reflecting on his football journey, Adepoju shared that he had always aspired to score goals with his head since his secondary school days. He revealed that he intensified his practice after secondary school, recognizing it as his unique strength, until he mastered the skill.
The seminar, which brought together key football stakeholders, aimed to equip participants with knowledge and strategies for player development ahead of the new season.
