Future Of Football Academies Bleak – APFAN President

The General Secretary, Association of Proprietors of Football Academies of Nigeria (APFAN), Lagos chapter, Toyin Popoola, has said on Saturday that the future of football academies in the country was bleak. Popoola told newsmen in Lagos that most academies were relatively poor and lacked adequate training facilities.

“The future of football academies is not too bright. It is bleak and the needed environment to groom the players is lacking. “Most football academies in Lagos are relatively poor and their major problem spawns from lack of facilities and adequate training materials,” he said.

He expressed concern over the neglect of football academies, saying the situation was different in other countries. He added that it was disgraceful that a lot of top flight Nigerian clubs did not have academies to groom young players. “The neglect of football academies is worrisome.

In other countries the situation is different because if a child cannot excel through education he can grow through football.

“It is a shame that most football clubs in the country don’t even have academies and you begin to wonder where the future of our football is heading to. “If football in the country seeks to develop to its pinnacle, the existence of academies should not be written off,’’ Popoola said.

He said sponsorship was crucial to the success of any academy and appealed to government and private organisations for support. According to him, government should enact laws that will recognise the existence of football academies and encourage private- sector involvement.