Tony Ossai Eke is reported to have painstakingly devoted his entire life to the development of youth football in Nigerian. He played one season for the Dons at USF.
Eke was born in 1950, Ajegunle, Nigeriqa, and got involved in football matters as a teenager in 1965 when Youth Sport Federation of Apapa (YSFA) was formed by Chief Israel Adebajo, who was also the founder of the famous Stationery Stores Football Club of Lagos. Patiently but painstakingly, Tony Eke learned the ropes and became a popular figure in football circles in Lagos State, making Ajegunle his base for youth soccer revolution.
At the age of 19 in 1970, Tony Eke had already become familiar with some top brass of the Nigeria Military like Col. Sule Apollo, Major-General Joseph Garba and General Benjamin Adekunle, who had been keeping the youth club funded. The trio formed a remarkable partnership with Garba Hamza from early 1970 until 1976 when the military coup that toppled General Murtala Mohammed began to have adverse effect on the day-to-day running as financial straits crippled the activities of the body.
Tony Ossai Eke, took up the challenge to expand the financial base of YSFA when he approached the management of VONO Nigeria Ltd to sponsor the first RAMAT CUP in Lagos State in 1977. The request was granted and Lagos was privileged to host the maiden edition of General Murtala Ramat Mohammed U-16 Boys soccer championship at St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, where Chief M.K.O. Abiola, a personal friend of Murtala Mohammed replaced the trophy and took over sponsorship of the yearly RAMAT CUP till 1994, even while in detention mid-way (CompleteSports.com).
