Eaglesite Football Academy founder Jude Agboma has revealed plans to develop grassroots football talent in Agbor, Delta State, with the academy now fully operational after initial delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Australia-based football administrator said the academy, which was first established in 2000, aims to provide opportunities for talented footballers to excel in their careers.
“I have been living in Australia for quite some time now and I believe it’s the right time to come and invest in my country. With my international exposure, I have one or two things to introduce in my academy to make it different from other academies,” Agboma said.
The academy currently has 50 registered players across two age categories – juniors (8-13 years) and seniors (13-18 years) – and is open to both male and female players.
“Presently, we have 50 players and registration is open to boys and girls who are talented and interested in playing football,” he added.
Agboma revealed plans to expose academy players to modern football techniques and international tours, with foreign scouts expected to regularly monitor their progress.
“Right now, I am in contact with some foreign clubs whom I won’t mention their names now. They’ll be sending scouts here to monitor the players and the good ones will have the opportunity to lace their boots for some of the big clubs in Europe or better still in the Nigerian Premier League,” he stated.
The academy plans to participate in the country’s second-tier league and has assembled an experienced coaching staff, including former national league players.
“My plan is that very soon, the academy will participate in the country’s second-tier League. We have the coaches to take them there. They are already playing in one tournament in Delta State and they’re doing very well,” Agboma said.
He also announced plans to send the academy’s coaches to the National Institute For Sports in Lagos for further training.
Discussing the challenges of running a football academy in Nigeria, Agboma identified recruiting qualified personnel as a major hurdle.
“Getting the right people on board is one of the major challenges facing the setting up of football academies in the country. I faced the same problem initially because people are only interested in what you’ll put on the table but I’m happy that I have surmounted the problem,” he explained.
On choosing to establish the academy in his village, Agboma emphasised the abundance of untapped talent in rural areas.
“There are a lot of talents in the rural areas both in the primary and secondary schools and it’s important that they’re given the platform to excel as many of them might not have the opportunity to be in the urban areas,” he said.