Iseyin United Football Club has emerged winners of the second edition of the Kick Polio Away Football Competition after defeating New Starlet FC of Ibadan 1–0 in a thrilling final match played at the Iseyin Township Stadium.
The tournament, jointly organised by the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board (OYPHCB), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Femben Football Academy, was designed as a community-led intervention to promote routine immunisation and sensitise fathers on their role in protecting children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of OYPHCB, Dr. Muideen Olatunji, stressed that fathers’ active participation is crucial to achieving wider acceptance of immunisation programmes.
He also announced that the state will commence an integrated Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign from October 4 to 14, targeting over three million children between nine months and 14 years of age.
Dr. Olatunji, who earlier led an advocacy visit to the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Oyebola, and members of the traditional council, said the involvement of traditional leaders would further strengthen community mobilisation for immunisation.
He commended Oba Oyebola for his continuous support, including personally enrolling indigenes in health insurance to improve access to healthcare services.
Also speaking, UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, Mrs. Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole, explained that the football competition was used as a tool to gather men in large numbers and drive home the message of male involvement in routine immunisation.
“One of the major barriers to immunisation is lack of consent from fathers. Many mothers tell us they cannot vaccinate their children because their husbands did not approve,” she noted.
“By engaging men through football, we are bridging that gap and ensuring more children are protected.”
Head Coach of Femben Football Academy, Coach Femi Olatunji, said the idea behind the tournament was to leverage the large male gatherings that football attracts to educate men on the importance of supporting their wives in accessing routine vaccination for children.
In his remarks, Oba Oyebola applauded the Oyo State Government for upgrading primary healthcare centres in Iseyin and praised UNICEF for championing the welfare of children and families in the community.
The final match was witnessed by a large crowd of football enthusiasts, community leaders, and health officials, all united under the campaign slogan: “Kick Zero Dose and Polio Away, One Goal at a Time.”
