A MAN accused of murdering teenage footballer Godwin Lawson told the Old Bailey he had no reason to attack his ‘cousin’.

Moise Avorgah, 20, said he had known the 17-year-old, who was a member of the Oxford United Football Club Academy, for several years after meeting him through a mutual relative.

He claimed the fight which ended in Godwin’s death was started by the victim’s friends, Julian and Daniel Borja.

Avorgah insisted he only stabbed the Borja brothers in self-defence and denied any involvement in the murder.

His barrister Daffyd Enoch QC asked: “Did you get involved in any attack or physical violence with Godwin Lawson?”

Avorgah replied: “No sir. Godwin was just trying to stop it. He was trying to prevent Daniel getting to me.”

Asked if he knew how Godwin got stabbed, Avorgah replied: “No sir.”

Godwin, who had travelled down to London from Oxford for the weekend, suffered a fatal knife wound to the heart during the confrontation.

CCTV cameras at Stamford Hill train station captured Godwin collapsing on the pavement at around 1.50am.

It is claimed Moise Avorgah, 20, Daniel Riley, 22, Koffi Osimeh, 19, and Matthew Lanihun, 20, are all responsible for the killing.

Avorgah, of St Ann’s Road, Tottenham, north London; Riley, of Caledonian Road, Holloway, north London; Lanihun, of Megan Court, Holloway; and Osimeh, of Heron Drive, Finsbury Park, all deny murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of the alternative charge of wounding with intent.

The trial continues.