TOP 10 WORLD CLASS FOOTBALL ACADEMIES IN NIGERIA: Developing Future Stars
Football institutes have become the overwhelming focus in the advancement of value players for the under 16 and under 21 national groups in Nigeria. Football business people now build up institutes to make benefit from the exchange advertise.
A few expert clubs, particularly in Europe, collaborate with brands and games administrators here in Nigeria to set up standard football institutes, which in the long run serve as feeder groups.
Let’s look at ten of these academies that are world class in terms of qualified personnel, facilities, exposures, partnerships, affiliations and indeed, their achievements so far.
No1, Pepsi Football Academy (PFA): Established by Pepsi. PFA is the brainchild of Iain Nelson, the then African Marketing director for Pepsi brand in Nigeria. Today, the academy is managed by the Executive Director/ Proprietor, Kasimawo Laloko, a veteran coach who had managed Stationery Stores FC and Nigeria national teams in the past.
PFA had developed some of the biggest footballers in Nigeria today: Mikel Obi, Elderson Echiejile, Joseph Akpala, Dominic Chatto and recently for 2013 victorious Golden Eaglets, Taiwo Awoniyi.
Several opportunities are open for the students in the academy. Pepsi has already awarded 20 players scholarship to study in the UK.
Originally based in Lagos at Agege Stadium, Pepsi academy now has 14 centers across the country and has over 3000 students.
In its main center in Lagos, PFA has a privately owned residential college of International standard. The school run Nigeria secondary school curriculum at 4 Sagamu/ Abeokuta Expressway Orile-Imo, Ogun State.
No2, Kwara State Football Academy (KWFA): Established 2005 by Kwara state government. KWFA is the initiative of Bukola Saraki, Kwara state governor. The academy which commenced operations with former Nigeria national team technical adviser, Clemence Westerhof, is now managed by a Swedish technical director, Paul Ashwonth.
Ashwonth had managed many professional teams in Europe including Dynamo Kiev and FC Peterborough. Apart from Ashwonth, the academy has 7 other coaches, who are former Nigeria International footballers with coaching certificates.
KWFA has already developed players like Ahmed Abdul Taofix, who now plays for FK Vents polis of Latvia. Yaya and Okon were also in Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets team that won 2013 under 16 world cup in UAE.
The academy currently has 150 students (age 13 – 21 years). It has training center in a facility situated on about 35 hectares of land within Kwara stadium complex Ilorin. It has a hostel that can accommodate 200 students, 4 standard pitches, a gymnasium, 3 blocks of 27 classrooms and a medical center. It runs a combination of British and Nigeria educational curriculum.
No3, Abuja Football College (AFC): Established January 2012 by Gabriel Newton, founder/ FIFA Licensed instructor, in partnership with Haruna Abba.
AFC recently won FCT Federations cup and will be representing Abuja at the national level. It won the under 20 unity football competition tagged FCT 2013, beating years like Pepsi Academy, Kwara state academy…
AFC also got to the Semi finals of Croatia soccer tourney in July 2013, defeated Pro-clubs like FC Zagreb and Croatia’s under 21 national team.
AFC training center in an exclusive location at Wuse, Abuja Municipals Bwari, has residential suite that can accommodate 120 students. It also has a college with Wendy Cameron as the principal. The college run USA educational curriculum.
No 4, Midas Soccer Academy (MSA):
Midas Football Academy Nigeria was established in November 2006 to discover young soccer talents in Nigeria and the rest of Africa and make them better persons in the society, the academy is affiliated with the Nigeria Football Federation.
The Academy has participated in International youth tournaments in Germany, Denmark, Israel, South Africa as well as some local tournament in Nigeria and still producing exciting young talents with a dream to build a world class football facility for them in the nearest future where the players can combine high school education and soccer to reach their full potentials.
MFA has official partnership with soccer academies and youth clubs in Czech Republic, Portugal, United Kingdom and USA for their players to have an exchange program and tryouts throughout the year. Admission is always open all year round and they provide accommodation for players from all over Nigeria.
The academy can be contacted via it’s website at www.midasfootballacademy.com or its official Facebook page via this link https://www.facebook.com/midasfootballacademy.
No 5, Papilo Football Academy (PNKFA): Established 2001 by Nwankwo Kanu, founder/ Nigeria’s football ambassador, ex-international that played with Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Portsmouth…
PNKFA has succeeded in transferring over 10 players abroad. Notable among them are Joel Obi of Inter Milan and Super Eagles of Nigeria; Stanley Okoro of Battista, the one fans call ‘Little Messi.’
Kanu uses his connections to bring in international coaches like Bryan Robson, Gary Smith… to train the students on short courses.
The academy has over 200 players in Nwankwo Kanu’s private estate at Egbu Owerri road. Though, the academy still train at Dan Anyaim stadium cmplex and Uzii layout primary school, but Kanu is currently building what may be the largest football academy in Africa, at Owerri – Port Harcourt road, behind Concord Hotel. The academy is open to Under 15, under 17, under 19 students.
Contact: +234 803 777 9697. Email: papilonwankwokanuintl@yahoo.com
It isn’t all the establishments that claim to be ‘football academy’ in Nigeria actually meet the standard. But in recent years, we’re beginning to see real top class football academies spring up and I have been able to let you see five of these academies in my previous post. Click here to read
Now, let me show you the remaining five that can relatively be regarded as world class academies in Nigeria.
No 6, African Touch Football Academy (ATFA): Established 2002 by Ash Rahman, who doubles as a coach and director of the academy. He has an assistant coach, Zahid Hossam,who had once been part of the coaching crew of Iraq national team. Then, Head fitness trainer, Joe Girma, who was former fitness trainer for Queen Park Rangers (QPR).
ATFA has succeeded in transferring Samuel Oji to Arsenal youth team, Abdul Koysor to Charlton Athletics and Leo Fisher to Watford.
ATFA is well established in London. It’s a place where scouts visit frequently to select students that meet certain specifications as required by their clubs. The academy is affiliated to Puma and Sports Solutions UK.
Here in Abuja Nigeria, ATFA has good facilities at hose 56, Second Crescent, Abuja Municipal, Wuse. 2 fully grassed pitches, a gymnasium, hostel that can accommodate about 259 students.
No 7, City of David Football Academy (CODA): Established 2009 by City of David parish of Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lagos. CODA is the feeder team of COD first team, which competes in Nigeria National League (NNL).
COD won the Lagos state Federations cup and went on to represent the state at the national level in 2013. The academy has partnership relationship with Bolton Wanderers and both teams share resources. COD had already succeeded in transferring 7 players to the UK based club.
The Academy (CODA) has about 700 students in its under 10, Under 12, under 14, under 16, under 21 and the first team. All the students of the academy attend RCCG secondary school Lagos.
CODA training center are in three different locations. Some of the academy students train at Onikan stadium, where the first team also trains; while others train at Kings college pitch Lagos and Green spring school Lekki.
Contact CODA
No 8, Edo State Academicals (ESA): Established 2007 by Edo State Government, as a football initiative to nurture exceptional talents in the state.
ESA became popular as one of it’s’ students, Kelechi Ihenacho, was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2013 FIFA under 16 World cup.
Kelechi Ihenacho and Isaac Success were selected out of the academical into the victorious Golden Eaglests team. The two players have since signed for Manchester City and Reggiana respectively.
ESA also has 5 players in the newly assembled Eaglets coached by Emmanuel Amunike. The academical has graduated 2 students that now play with Warri Wolves.
Students are selected into the academicals through ‘Governor’s cup,’ all Edo secondary schools competitions.
No 9 Buruji Soccer Academy (BSA): Established 2007 by Rafiu Buruji, an Alternative Medicine Doctor and Publisher of Buruji Sports Weekly Magazine.
BSA has perhaps the best training facilities among academies in Nigeria. It own stadium at Ikorodu Lagos. It has well equipped gymnasium and other world class training equipment and kits. It also has a hostel accommodation that’s decorated like a hotel suite.
BSA recently started another branch of the academy in the UK, where it has a liaison office. The students usually participate in the yearly Arsenal festival and sometimes tour Villarreal in Spain.
BSA had succeeded in transferring Kelechi Odu to Ajax, Ahmed Salisu to Galatasaray in Turkey.
No 10, Pawas Soccer Academy (PSA): Established 2006 by Paul Wahab, founder and sole sponsor of the academy. Wahab has recently reached a partnership agreement with ‘International Sports Management Africa (ISMA).
Phil Donaldson Badger, Chairman Goldmine Consult UK also represent the academy in Europe. Goldmine consult have been able to procure several trial tests in UK, Romania and United Arab Emirates for players in the academy.
PSA has also graduated 15 players, who now play in various Nigeria Premier League and Nigeria National League respectively.
PSA is like a school, all coaches and trainers closely monitor players’ educational development. This is the reason Wahab insisted on recruiting top class staff: Anthony Shan as chief coach; Daniel Barry, trainer and Ajala Koronde, Instructor.
The academy’s training center is at Command secondary school Zaria Road Jos Plateau state. PSA admit players from 17 – 21 years, but intend to expand its reach to talents between 6 – 16 years.
No comments:
Post a Comment