In all, over twenty of the best hotels in Plateau State were fully booked as football stakeholders from all walks of life trooped into the beautiful city of Jos, the plateau state capital to honour the Enigma, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh. The NFF executive Committee member and chairman of the referees appointment committee is a crowd puller any day, no wonder, the who is who in Nigeria football, travelled from North, South, East and West just to be part of this historic event.
The occasion is, the final of the 2017 Ahmed Fresh youth football competition on the Plateau. It is one competition that has over 400 teams pruned down to just two finalists and at the end of the match, Way forward Academy defeated Sauki Oil & Gas on penalties, after the encounter ended 1-1 at full time National Daily gathered.
Off the field, the sleeping city of Jos woke up to the reality of the moment. Ahmed Yusuf Fresh is back on the Plateau few days after watching Plateau United lift the 2016/2017 NPFL trophy. That event, had in attendance, NFF president Amaju Pinnick, his second Vice chairman, Shehu Dikko and a host of other top football dignitaries.
This time around, it was not the final match of the NPFL season, it was not the home team, Plateau United that was involved but two amateur teams battling for the cash prize and trophy at stake.
The pre match formalities had Fresh and other members of the NFF executive committee leading a strong entourage that includes over 15 serving FA Chairmen, chieftains of the Plateau State football association, executives of the various leagues, chairmen and representatives of the various NPFL clubs, ex internationals, friends of Ahmed Fresh, sports journalists and other esteemed stakeholders.
For the first time in a long while, these stakeholders agreed to be dressed in a specially made attire designed by the Niger state football association chairman who is gradually building an institution as the most powerful and most influential football administrator around presently.
Hate him or love him, Ahmed Fresh has continued to show that he is the game changer, the motivator, the moving train, the silent operator and the emerging messiah of Nigerian football.
At the wave of his hand, over 20 FA chairmen had gathered, a sign of his growing influence and reputation, as an astute football administrator whose credentials has suddenly surpassed those of his predecessors who will need to apply their best political manoeuvering and skills to come close to dethroning this emerging Tiger of the Niger, in the fast approaching NFF elections National Daily learnt.
The raging question still begging for answers though, is, does Ahmed Yusuf Fresh harbour any secret political ambition?
” Let me state it clear once again that I, Ahmed Yusuf Fresh has no political ambition. I have no intention to contest for the plum job of NFF president. I am a grassroots mobilizer and I find satisfaction in developing the game at that level. No one should grow goose pimples because of me because, i am not ready to be a sit tight president, I just want to concentrate on developing, improving and promoting the youth and the game he concluded”
The fear of Ahmed Yusuf Fresh is sending shivers down the spines of aspiring candidates, who have started fanning the embers of war and discord within the political hemisphere, dropping all forms of negation propaganda on his fledging ego just to tarnish his shinning image.
Now the vice chairman of NFF technical committee and a member of FIFA statutory committee, has left his detractors with a bigger worry to ponder over as he says it without mincing words, that he has no intention of becoming the next NFF