APFAN Calls For Support For Football Academies

The Association of Proprietors of Football Academies of Nigeria (APFAN), Lagos chapter, has called for more support for football academies to promote grass-roots soccer.

APFAN secretary, Toyin Popoola, made the appeal in an interview with newsmen on Saturday in Lagos.

According to him, Nigeria soccer academies have yet to meet the aims of their establishment.

“We have yet to tap into the potential of academies as well as the goal for their establishments; academies need to be more forthcoming in their approach toward grooming young talents into future stars.

“Many of the players in the European clubs are from their academies; this is to prove that academies are doing well and can do better with support.

“With support from football stakeholders, academies in Nigeria can compete with renowned ones across the world and produce world-class players,” Popoola said.

According to him, the situation is different in other countries because, if a child cannot excel through education he can grow through football.

“It is a shame that most football clubs in the country do not even have youth teams and you begin to wonder where the future of our football is heading.

“If football in the country seeks to develop to its pinnacle, the existence of academies should not be written off,’’ Popoola said.

He said that for football to develop at the grassroots, its operation should be regulated by football authorities.

According to him, government should enact laws that will recognise the existence of football academies and encourage private-sector involvement in running them.

“Football academies should be coordinated in a manner that their activities can be monitored and controlled. Then, we can get the best from these academies,’’ he added.