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Benin City fans were yesterday treated to scintillating football at the BJ Foundation academy ‘End of Year’ match, as former and current BJ FC players locked horns.

The match, which kicked off in the early morning at the Arinze Primary School playing field, ended 2-1 in favour of the ex-BJ players.

Isaac Success of FC Granada, Spain (who chose to play for the current BJ team) won a free kick midway into the first half just outside the edge of the BJ box and rose up to fire home a brilliant free kick to put BJ ahead.

In the second half, the ex-BJ Stars applied more pressure and were duly rewarded when Kuwait-based Efosa Ona tapped in a cross to make it one apiece.

Not long later, Ibrahim Adeoye of Unicem Rovers scored from a bullet of a volley to win his ex-BJ players’ side the match.

The game was very competitive and bore little resemblance to a friendly once the players got into the field of play. The referee had a hectic time controlling tempers at times. At a point Tunisia-based Aigbe Oliha and Isaac Success had to be pulled apart as tempers almost reached boiling point following a hard tackle by the former on the latter. Such was the eagerness of the players to apply their best in the game.

After the game, awards were presented to players of the current BJ team who had distinguished themselves in 2014. The awards were presented by two former Under-17 players, Isaac Success and Dele Alampasu.

Isaac Success later hosted fans, coaches and friends to a sumptuous lunch at his residence in the Dumez area of Benin City.

BJ Foundation football academy is managed by Douglas Idahosa.

•Photo shows Isaac Success presenting the award for Most Improved Player of BJ Foundation Academy to Ifeanyi Okechukwu.

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