The federal government through the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with English Premier League club, West Ham United and Nicosia University, Cyprus in the bid to develop grassroots sport and talent hunt in the country.
This, the interim coach of the Super Eagles Samson Siasia has described has a welcome development that will in a long way boost interest in the round leather game and churn out good talents that are waiting for discoveries.
The partnership deal, which was concluded with the signing of the MoU in Abuja was witnessed by Nigerian sport stakeholder forum which has in attendance the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), League Management Company (LMC) led by Chairman Shehu Dikko and notable Nigerian coaches, led by Super Eagles’ interim coach, Samson Siasia and renowned Nigerian league coaches.
“The Youth Sports Federation is thinking in the right direction as I strongly believe that there abound talents that are waiting for discoveries and with this partnership with the EPL club much will be achieved in a short effort,” said Siasia.
The delegation from West Ham United FC at the stakeholders forum tagged “Talent Identification and Management Workshop” was led by, Senior Development Officer, Michael Ward; a coach with the club, Adam Munn; as well as the vice-president of Nicosia University, Dr Pavlos Pavlou.
According to the foreign partners, myriad of opportunities which will be made available by the collaboration will benefit the nation’s sports even at the tertiary institutions saying local and school leagues will be revisited toward achieving a central goal for the country.
The Coaches in attendance were led by the F.C.T Abuja Chapter Chairman of the Nigerian Coaches Association, Mr Godwin Bamigboye, and other coaches from different parts of the country. The YSFON National Coach, Mr Abdúlgafar Agboola of the YSFON/Navy Football Academy in Oron, Cross Rivers State was also in attendance with a retinue of coaches, as well as the YSFON Organising Secretary, Mallam Abdùlrazaq .
