Sports recruitment platform, Talentlockr and their partners, Vision Football Tours, have intensified scouting of football players in Africa with a five-day talent showcase in Lagos and Abuja recently.
After a two-day showcase in Abuja, hundreds of footballers from selected academies in Lagos converged on the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan from Tuesday, January 14 to Thursday, January 16, and were put to test matches with the use of innovative scouting technology by ex-Premier League player Danny Guthrie and coach Connor Tagoe who has worked with Chelsea star Cole Palmer.
The showcase was used to select some outstanding players for trials with clubs in Europe and the Middle East.
Head of Talentlockr in Africa, Ade Adebisi, said there will be another showcase in the summer transfer window to give room for more players, especially those who haven’t reached the transfer age bracket to secure potential moves abroad.
“We basically partnered with them for Africa and we will be doing different showcases around Africa with them.
“It’s great to have Danny, who is an ex-Premier League player and Conor who played for Manchester United partnering with us because they have the vision to see the young talents. They’ve been there and can easily tell which players and where they can make it around in the world,” Adebisi said.
The General Manager of Talentlockr in Africa, Isah Lawal-Saulawa, also said players who didn’t attend the showcase can still take advantage of the Talentlockr app by uploading their profile and video highlights for potential scouts who use the platform to spot talents.
“It’s been really encouraging. The talents have been really strong, physical and technical and that’s what the coaches are looking out for. They pretty much had a hard job of finding them because there are so many good stand out players.”
Ex-Premier League player, Guthrie, also noted the boxes that the selected players ticked.
“You look for the technical capabilities, decision making, transition and being able to cope with the physical aspect of the game.
“For us it’s about finding players that are of a certain profile. We have good relationships with clubs, agents and scouts and if we find them, we will recommend them so they can’t have a chance to have trials.
“For the bigger clubs in Europe and the Middle East, age is something they consider because they want them as quickly as possible. Some want players in the first team.”
One of the participants, Kolawole Abdulsamad of Ojodu City FC, and he is looking forward to a successful trial.
“It’s my first time attending this kind of showcase and the experience was fantastic. I downloaded the Talentlockr app and uploaded my details on it,” the player said.
“I see it as a very good opportunity for players like us to make progress in our career.”