The prestigious Ibadan Golf Club is set for the maiden edition of Captains Golf Invitational competition, initiated by the captain of the club, Ola Ibironke to host all the Golf Club’s Captains in Nigeria, either past or present on September 18.
While explaining the rationale behind the unique golf tournament which is first of its kind, Ibironke who described IGC as the home of golf and its tradition said the club wants to consolidate on its 30th anniversary by taking over airspace again by inviting the Kings and Queens to come back home.
“Leadership is not a job you take, it’s a decision you make. It pays no money, yet has the greatest reward. All past and present Captains, female and male, old and young, in short if you have served in this category before, your day of reward has come. Come join us to pamper you”, said IGC Captain.
He added that people in that category in golfing have worked selflessly for humanity, and it is time now to be served too, “let’s relax, let’s golf, let’s merry and renew our strength for many more years of greatness. Golf is life if you play it well”.
His words: “Golf is life and it is a game of intelligence, it is a game of how best you can present yourself and have a straight mind towards what you’re doing.
“I just found out that immediately after you finish serving as captain people just forget about you and there’s nothing connecting us together again, you only just carry on with the title of being a past captain.
“It was just done on me that definitely you will also be a past captain and this is how things will continue. We have captains that had served for the past 10 to 20 years ago in this club and other clubs in Nigeria, and I think they should be celebrated, just like what obtains in the army that you see retired generals and officers that they still connect with themselves and be recognised for that attainment for the rest of their lives”.
The Chairman of the organising committee for the epic golf event, Larry Agose, who is also a past Captain of IGC has urged intending participants in the historical golf tournament to register earlier because of the limited space that is available.
club’s top scorer with nine goals in 2020, he recorded eight assists which is the highest by any player in the French Lig 1 and also bagged one hattrick to his name.
Simon arrived at the club penultimate summer on loan from Spanish Premiere Liga side UD Levante and the former Gent man has proven to be an instant hit at the club, which has encouraged Nantes to be interested in taking up the option that allows them to sign the player permanently for €5 million in the Summer.
The 24-year-old made 30 appearances for the French side in the last campaign scoring nine goals and registered eight assists.
“It can only be God. I became the Player of the Season in FC Nantes a traditional club. I am so excited it gives me a sense of recognition in my career,” he had said.
Life for Simon in Spain was far from rosy as he failed to establish himself in Levante’s starting 11. He then decided to take his trade to French Ligue 1 side, Nantes, and the move has proved to be a success story.
The 24-year-old had been impressive since joining FC Nante on loan from Spanish side, Levante.
Simon revealed he is thoroughly enjoying a new lease of life in France.
“I am more relaxed and settled at Nantes, no pressure. I am also playing to my full potentials because here I am a very offensive winger,” he explained.
“At Levante, I had to fall back to help out in the defence. Now, I am a winger in a 4-3-3 formation as against the 3-5-2 we played in Spain. And so, the goals and assists are coming now.”
Simon is however optimistic his current scoring form for FC Nantes will continue with the Super Eagles.
“It’s been an amazing season for me so far here in France; the team is doing well and I hope to also take the same form to the national team,” Simon said.
Simon moved to Levante UD for about five million Euros, which is a figure far from the 20 million Euros a top official had predicted KAA Gent will eventually sell him.
Gent sports director Michel Louwagie proudly predicted that his club would break transfer records when they eventually sell the Nigerian winger after they bought him from Slovak club AS Trencin for 650,000 Euros in January 2015.
“The transfer record in Belgium will have to be shattered when we sell Moses. We will be talking of about 20 million Euros,” Louwagie had predicted. The prediction was prompted by the fact that Moses was an instant sensation in Belgium.
But the player will go on to suffer injuries and lack of consistency for such huge hope not to be fulfilled in the three and a half seasons he was there.
Altogether, he scored 21 goals and provided 18 assists in 136 appearances for ‘The Buffaloes’.
He won the Belgian league with Gent in his first season after his transfer from Slovak club AS Trencin.
KAA Gent paid glowing tributes to Simon after the player secured a move to Spanish club, Levante.
“He leaves the club with his head up and will forever belong to the select group of players who won the first league title in the history for our club and then became part of an historic Champions League campaign stamped in the collective Belgian football memory. The following season, he was also a member of the group of players that beat Tottenham at Wembley in the Europa League,” the club said in its official website then.
Simon had his first call-up to the Nigeria national team by Coach Daniel Amokachi in March 2015 and made his debut on the 25th of the same month in an international friendly against Uganda, when he replaced Anthony Ujah.
