At a news conference in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, he made this statement in advance of the annual Akogun Football Competition finals, which were scheduled to take place in Oka Akoko, the state’s headquarters for the Akoko South-West Local Government Area.
The former African Footballer of the Year stated that the government shouldn’t be the only entity involved in the game’s development.
“I do think that even if I’m not playing, I still like to play football. The Nigeria Football Federation Technical Committee, of which I am still a member, has a responsibility to assist grassroots football. Everyone ought to be in favor of Nigerian football’s development.
Lauding the competition’s organizer and former member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Gbenga Omole—a member of the winning teams from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations—people, communities, and state governments were urged to follow in Omole’s footsteps. They also requested that NFF participate in grassroots football hunting in order to further the growth of the game.
“There is no greater way to give back to the community and show how you can grow these young boys and girls, so when the honorable (the organiser) called me and I saw what he has been doing in the previous six years, I was impressed. “I am aware that football is a huge passion in Ondo State. My teammates and I had previously visited to support him in his endeavors. Being in Akoko will be an honor, and we are here to support him in his endeavors.
About five of the competitors’ graduates are currently playing in overseas leagues, according to Omole, the competition’s organizer. We have had gifted players shipped to join clubs and teams outside the borders of our state thanks to their presence and the efforts of other soccer scouts. Global revenue from football is expected to reach $5.65 billion by 2031, up from nearly $4 billion in 2023. We’d like to take part in this. Accordingly, Omole continued, “the talents found in this competition can be turned into stars with proper grooming, and this will make great impacts on their families and communities.”
