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Scouting group engages young Nigerian footballers for professional training

 

Scouting

By Nicholas Obisike

Enugu, April 29, 2023 (NAN) A football player scouting group organising the FC Bayern Munich Youths Scouting Programme in Nigeria says it has engaged 10 Nigerian youths in training to become professional footballers.

Victor Edeh, the Nigerian Director of the group Organising the Bayern Munich Youth Cup, advised the players to see their selection as the  beginning  of a new journey in their career.

He said the 10 players were selected for the professional training while an additional  10 would serve as a standby team.

“We will process their travel documents to Germany for the FC Bayern Youth Tournament at Allianz Arena,” Edeh who said the programme has been in existence since 2015 stated.

“We don’t want a situation where injury, sickness or visa-related issues will deplete our team,” he said.

Edeh said they were however processing the travel documents for all the 20 players because this is the start of a new journey.

“We are looking forward to sorting them out with immigration and visas, organising a training camp for them, preparing them for the Bayern Munich Youth Cup world title,” he said.

The programme organiser thanked other participants who were not selected, describing the standard of the competition as very high.

He said his foundation would keep eyes on all the players and hopefully through their numerous projects find a place to help them realise their dreams.

Edeh said that the 2023 edition of the Bayern Munich Youth Cup would come up in October in Germany.

He listed some of the players picked from the scouting to include Muhammed Danlami, a midfielder from Team Combined, Muhammed Sadiq, a striker from Ablaze Academy.

Others are Saviour Mathias, a midfielder from Abuja, Ogbodo Chidozie, a striker from Purple Krown in Enugu, Onuorah Divine, a goalkeeper from Purple Krown.

He added that Bashir Idris, a defender from Hearts FC Academy, Muhammed Mustapha, a midfielder from Hearts FC Academy, and Suleiman, a defender from Hearts FC Academy, were on the list.

“Ifeanyi Anthony, a  defender from the Enugu team, and Aman Sabiu, another defender from R and K Academy, all made the team,” Edeh said.

An exhibition match was held at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus (UNEC) pitch between Lagos Selected and R and K Football Academy of Kano.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

NUO/BKD/IA

Edited  by Auwalu Birnin Kudu/Idris Abdulrahman

General news

Academy to establish football school in Abuja, export talents abroad

Academy
By Emmanuel Afonne
Abuja, Jan. 6, 2023 (NAN) Prestige Football Academy, an Abuja-based club, said on Friday it had intensified plans to establish a football school in the FCT, to enable youths to develop their football talents.
The Manager of the academy, Uchendu Nwabara, said in a statement that the football institution, when completed, would combine secondary school education with football training.
Nwabara said the aim was to achieve holistic development of the players in line with modern sports business concept.
“We want to create opportunity for every player to achieve his or her career in a reputable club locally or internationally, with high academic standards as well as social and health development,” he said.
According to Nwabara, beyond establishing the school, the academy is planning to recruit 30 players between ages 14 and 20 in an exercise expected to hold from Jan. 9 to 21 in Abuja.
Nwabara explained that the recruitment was part of efforts to develop football career of some talented youths in Abuja.
He said that 14 of the 30 recruited players would be taken to Ghana for trials where scouts from UK, Italy, France, Poland, Qatar and Ghana would watch them play and subsequently land them deals with foreign clubs.
Nwabara said “qualified players from ages 18-20 will sign contracts with clubs, while the minor ages of 14-17 who excel in the trials can still be selected by the clubs to inject into their respective academies based on agreement with the academy”.
He said the screening, which attracted a token amount, would take place at Baze University Sports Field, Abuja, while that of Ghana would take place in Obuasi, Kumasi, Cheetah FC Stadium in Accra, Ghana.
The football manager said a curriculum had been designed for the academy to assist the players develop their football career alongside their academics.
“Our curriculum is mostly associated with teaching football skills and education which includes different approaches to football training, drills and exercises, learning and assessment as well as instilling quality relationship between coaches and the players.
“We have developed a curriculum that provides an opportunity to create relevant, coherent and engaging environment for all players and coaches.
“Players are to have a clear purpose of representing the team and to provide a reference point not only for football but also for their education.
“We offer team assessment that provides the opportunity for self discovery, cognitive and mental development and we evaluate players’ skills and performance standards.
“We engage in local and international friendly matches to enable each player to attain his full capacity in football and we  inculcate confidence, self esteem, knowledge and create the opportunity for players to participate in competitions at various levels.
“In general term, our educational football academy consists of everything that promotes intellectual, personal moral values, social and physical development of the participants,” Nwabara said.
He added that the academy was in partnership with FIFA-verified agents, including Istepan Saraka from UK, Geinnaro Gisonna from Italy, Onur Demr from France, Janusz Dziedzic from Poland, Hamad Al-Hal from Qatar and
Emmanuel Samjohn based in Ghana.
He also said that competent coaches and intermediaries were among those facilitating the signing of players.
“We have a reservoir of international collaborators who conduct scouting competitions from time to time and select the best players for foreign clubs”. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
EMAF/IA
Edited by Idris Abdulrahman
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