1472 FC were unveiled to the public in Lagos on Saturday with the owners promising to use it as a platform to further engage youths in football and entertainment.
The club will be competing in the Nigeria National League (NNL), the second tier of Nigerian football league system expected to kick off in November.
At the unveiling, 1472 FC CEO, Dr. Segun Sanni said that the club have their base in Surulere but would play home matches in the NNL at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan in Lagos pending the completion of renovation at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.
On the choice of club name, Sanni explained that it was coined from the year when Portuguese explorer, Rui de Sequeira landed in Lagos and named the area Lago de Curamo (Lake of Curamo).
“We’ve named the club so because a Portuguese explorer gave Lagos that name that year and we feel it is fitting to do so”, he explained.
1472 FC have a feeder (youth team) and are working on putting in place a women’s team, according to Sanni. The club have plans to also take off with their academy in January of 2024.
Influential persons in Surulere including actor-turned-politician, Hon. Desmond Elliott, who represents Surulere I constituency in Lagos House of Assembly; his counterpart for Somolu I constituency, Hon. Abiodun Orekoya; and Surulere Local Government Council chairman, Hon. Sulaiman Bamidele Yusuf offered their support for the take-off of 1472 FC.
Elliot said: “It is a good time to have a football club in 1472 FC in Surulere. From inception we have been involved with the plan and it is good to see it come to reality. The club will be ran professionally from management to players”.
Orekoya said the vision to set the club up in Surulere is good as the town is “home of football in Nigeria.
“Surulere is the home of football in Nigeria and I am glad that you are bringing that back now with this club. I want this to become the best club in Nigeria in the nearest future. These gentlemen have a good vision as it concerns the formation of this club”.
Yusuf said: “I am happy to see this happen during my administration. This is the sports city and it has two stadia recognized by FIFA. Football is not a small business, it is big and 1472 FC has come to stay and will open the doors for others to follow in other communities”.
Tingo is a major sponsor of 1472 FC.
