By Babatunde Ogunrinde
Ogechi Agana, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dominion Excellence Star Football Academy, says her support for grassroots football is to give emerging players opportunities to prove their abilities.
Agana disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the Peace Cup football scouting event she organised on Tuesday in Lagos.
She explained that the scouting event was a faith-based programme designed to provide young players with opportunities to be discovered by top scouts.
According to her, the programme also seeks to guide the players in the principles of Christian living, as well as help in developing them positively.
Agana said scouts from Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey, were at the event to assess the players and identify talents capable of playing in top European leagues.
“We believe everybody deserves the right to be seen. This is why we invited players from various clubs across Nigeria to showcase their qualities.
“We also try to teach them the principles of godly living and hope to impact their lives positively, by helping their faith to grow.
“We invited top scouts from Nigeria and Europe to ensure the success of the event and hopefully, discover the next top star player from Nigeria,” Agana said.
Benjamin James, a former Nigerian international and scout for European clubs, said he was pleased to participate at the Peace Cup.
James said some of the players had demonstrated qualities that could make them suitable for top-flight football in Europe.
He, however, said discipline, the right attitude and other basic requirements on and off the field, would be crucial to their development.
“I am impressed with what I have seen so far in Nigeria. The fact is that we are blessed with top talents.
“What is required is discipline and determination to succeed. I received the invitation from the director of the programme to assist in discovering new talents and it has been awesome working with her.
“She is a philanthropist and when she said she also wanted to give back by discovering future players, I was impressed by her passion for football,” James said.
Also speaking, Emmanuel Alozie, a former footballer and Team Manager of the event, expressed satisfaction with the quality of players participating at the Peace Cup.
Alozie said he was expected to oversee the selection process and group the players into teams for competitive matches.
He said players who made the required standard would be given opportunities to travel to Europe for trials with clubs in Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands.
“It is a wonderful event. The players are giving it their best and I am positive that at the end, no fewer than six players will be selected.
“As a scout who has been in the business for quite some time, I have worked with many players who secured deals in Armenia and Germany and I am looking forward to discovering more,” Alozie said.
Turkey-based scout, Oğuzhan Türk, said he was delighted to be in Nigeria to scout quality players who could be developed for top-flight football in Europe.
Türk, who heads the European scouting delegation at the Peace Cup, said the scouts were in Lagos to assess players with the potential to play in Europe.
“We have seen a lot of raw talent that needs to improve. We have to take the best ones who are willing to work hard.
“I have worked with many scouts in Nigeria to discover several players and one thing I know is that Nigeria is a country blessed with a lot of potential.
“We can push them hard to give their best and this platform will surely serve as a stepping stone to their future.
“There is still a little hard work to do and we just have to do our best by selecting the better ones who can fit into top-flight leagues in Europe,” Türk said.
Türk, who during his playing career featured for Go Ahead Eagles, SC Cambuur and VVV-Venlo, also played alongside former Nigerian international Chinedu Obasi.
He said his experience with Nigerian football had made him familiar with the country’s abundant football talent.
Türk expressed confidence that Nigerian players possessed the potential to succeed at the highest level, if properly developed and given the right opportunities. (NAN)
Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu